IPL 2020 | Pleased to make coach Mahela happy by finishing off the game, reveals Quinton de Kock

After Kolkata Knight Riders scampered their way to a paltry total of 148/5 after winning the toss and batting first, there were doubts as to whether the wicket was in fact excruciatingly slow, but it took all of six overs for Quinton de Kock to debunk that theory. Picking up from where he left off versus Delhi Capitals, the wicket-keeper batsman showcased a batting masterclass and dismantled the Kolkata bowling with surgical precision. Eventually, he finished with 78* and ensured that he stayed put till the very end and saw the team over the line.

Speaking in the post-match presentation, de Kock, who was named Man of the Match for his efforts, revealed that he was elated to stay till the end and finish the job off, something he failed to do in the previous encounter. De Kock revealed that coach Mahela Jayawardene had a word with him about getting the job done and added that he was blessed to have individuals like the Sri Lankan around him.

“I was disappointed at not finishing it off last game, Mahela had a word to us - he keeps us in check, in focus, it's nice to have such people around,” de Kock said in the post match presentation.

A feature of de Kock’s exquisite 78 were the delightful swats over the on-side - particularly mid wicket - and he took a liking for that stroke in the course of his 44-ball stay at the middle. The 27-year-old claimed that it’s the best short in his armoury but revealed that he does not try and complicate things and just focuses on hitting through the line of the delivery.

“To be honest, I'm not very sure - it's the best shot I have in my armoury (talking about his leg-side game), I like to play it and it's nice when it comes off. It's all about keeping my balance, I don't work too much on the cross-bat shots, it's important to stay in line while playing those,” said the Proteas limited-overs skipper.

De Kock was almost flawless on the night, but for dropping a sitter off the bowling of Jasprit Bumrah. The spill cost Mumbai a few runs, but the experienced wicket-keeper revealed that he is confident about his glovework, and added that he is constantly looking for improvement.

“I have played enough to not think too much about the keeping - everyone does drop catches and I'm not any different. I'm working on some aspects of the keeping, but I think I can keep improving on that aspect of the game.”