He was part of the recent PAK vs SA T20I series.
The comeback of Quinton de Kock to the South Africa T20I setup has ignited debate over whether he still fits into the plans for the T20 World Cup 2026. The wicketkeeper-batter’s recent form has been far from ideal, registering scores of 1, 7, 23, and 0 since his return after the last T20 World Cup final in Barbados, which South Africa lost to India.
Quinton de Kock has come out of his ODI retirement and T20I break a few months ahead of the eagerly awaited T20 World Cup 2026. South Africa’s all-format coach, Shukri Conrad, disclosed that de Kock made a late-night call to him expressing his strong desire to represent South Africa again. After internal discussions with the selectors, the comeback was approved. However, the coach had made it clear that it did not guarantee a World Cup selection.
The 32-year-old was told that form and fitness in the upcoming series, leading up to the marquee event, will be taken into consideration. The left-hander has 14 T20Is before the World Cup to push his case, including matches against Namibia, Pakistan, India, and the West Indies at home. With four matches already gone, he has yet to find his feet.
With the five-match T20I against India coming up, it becomes a crucial series for the left-hander as it remains unclear whether Quinton de Kock will play all remaining games and hold his opening spot, especially if his lean run continues. The team management may want to test other options before finalising their World Cup squad.
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Coach Conrad has favoured captain Aiden Markram and wicket-keeper batter Ryan Rickelton as the opening pair, making competition stiff for de Kock’s spot. While Markram is a proven performer and, as captain, will retain his place, Rickelton hasn’t made his case. His recent performances across all formats have been encouraging. However, he hasn’t sealed the opening spot yet, leaving a scope for de Kock to make his case.
QDK’s form in the T20 leagues like Major League Cricket (MLC) and Caribbean Premier League (CPL) hasn’t been that impressive. He had a modest MLC 2025, scoring 373 runs at an average of 31.08 at a decent strike rate of 142.91. In the CPL 2025, 208 runs in 10 matches at a disappointing strike rate of 118.85, averaging 23.11.
De Kock retired from Test cricket in 2021 and ODIs in 2023 to focus on family, but played regularly in global T20 leagues, including IPL, ILT20, and SA20. His IPL valuation dropped recently from USD 0.81 million with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to USD 0.43 million with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Quinton de Kock will have to stamp his authority, delivering consistently for South Africa almost every time he steps on the field to bolster his case for the T20 World Cup.
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