Quinton de Kock

International career

Quinton de Kock, the wicket-keeper batsman for South Africa, had a prolific journey to reach international cricket. He was born on 17 December 1992 in Johannesburg, where he had a passion for the sport since his early childhood. De Kock started off his domestic career in 2009 when his performances caught the attention of some senior players which further helped him to be a part of the Gauteng team. With the help of his impressive performances in the ICC Under-19 World Cup and even in the domestic format, he received a call-up for South Africa’s international team in 2013. In the 2012 Under-19 World Cup, he scored 283 runs in 6 matches at a strike rate of 102.52, which was eye-catching for the selectors.

Quinton de Kock brought himself to the international team at a young age, and here's a look at his international career:

• December 21, 2012: De Kock finally made his debut for the international team in the T20I format, playing the first match against New Zealand. He scored 28 runs off 23 balls and even took two catches behind the stumps.
• January 19, 2013: He made his debut in the ODI format against New Zealand but did not make an impact as he scored 18 runs off 34 balls.
• February 20, 2014: After almost a year, he made his debut in the longest format of the game, playing against Australia in his first test. De Kock scored 7 and 34 runs, respectively, in the match.
• October - November 2023: In the ICC World Cup 2023, De Kock scored 594 runs in 10 matches with 4 centuries, three of them coming at a strike rate above 100. This was also his last ODI World Cup for South Africa as he announced his retirement.

Quinton De Kock has played for South Africa in 54 Tests, 155 ODIs, and 92 T20I matches. While he still continues to play in the T20I format, he took retirement from the Test and ODI formats in 2021 and 2023, respectively.

Indian Premier League

Undoubtedly, Quinton De Kock has established himself as one of the most formidable wicket-keepers in the IPL history. He has played for multiple teams in the tournament, as his IPL seasons have been given below:

Records and achievements

Quinton De Kock has played a crucial role for South Africa in international cricket, and he has gained various records and achievements.

Records:

• He holds the record for most runs by a wicket-keeper in an ODI series, scoring 594 runs in the 2023 ODI World Cup.
• De Kock also has the record for most catches in an ODI match, taking 6 catches in the match against Afghanistan, played on 10 November 2023.
• He is also the leading wicket-keeper in dismissals in the T20I format, with 102 dismissals (84 catches and 18 stumpings).
• Along with David Miller, he holds the record of the highest fourth-wicket partnership, scoring 174 runs for the fourth wicket.

Achievements:

• First-class Cricket: Quinton De Kock has scored 5463 runs in 142 innings at an average of 41.38, along with 12 centuries and 36 half-centuries.
• List A Cricket: He has scored 8156 runs in 196 matches at an average of 43.84, with 25 centuries and 36 half-centuries.
• T20 Cricket: In his T20 career, De Kock has scored 10,620 runs in 373 games at an average of 31.89, with 68 half-centuries and 7 centuries.
• IPL: He has played 107 matches and scored 3157 runs at an average of 31.25, with two centuries and 23 half-centuries.
• Test Cricket: In 54 matches, De Kock has scored 3300 runs at an average of 38.82, with 6 centuries and 22 half-centuries.
• ODI Cricket: In the 50-over format, he has knocked 6770 runs in 155 matches at an average of 45.74, with 21 centuries and 30 half-centuries.
• T20I Cricket: In the only international format he is playing, De Kock has scored 2584 runs in 92 matches at an average of 31.51, with one century and 16 half-centuries.

Quinton De Kock’s record of scoring three consecutive centuries in ODI matches still remains one of his most memorable moments in his career.

Personal life

Quinton De Kock was born on 17 December 1992 in Johannesburg and completed his schooling at King Edward VII School. During his school days, he caught the selector's eye due to which he started playing in club matches. Shortly, he was also selected to play for Gauteng in the domestic format. Following his advancements in the cricket field at an early age, it has been reported that De Kock did not go to college for further education. Also, his parents supported his career, which further proved to be helpful for him in reaching the international stage.

Scandals

Quinton De Kock got involved in a controversy during the 2021 T20 World Cup, where he missed the match against West Indies for personal reasons. Also, the CSA (Cricket South Africa) made it compulsory for all the players to take a knee before the match which was also missed by De Kock.

Later he apologised for his decisions and said that he is not a racist, continuing that he has been against racism since birth. During the 2018 Test series against Australia, De Kock also got involved in a heated argument with David Warner, which was seen in the CCTV footage. According to some reports, he made some personal comments about Warner’s wife, Candice.

Fans and Social Media Presence

Quinton De Kock also holds an active presence on social media platforms, where he shares glimpses of his life with the fans. He has more than 686 thousand followers on his Instagram, where he shares his practice sessions, collaborative reels, and much more.