Great to See Quinton de Kock Fresh & Happy Before T20 World Cup: Graeme Smith

Quinton de Kock had an excellent SA20 campaign, finishing as the highest run-scorer with 390 runs.

(Photo: X)

At 33, Quinton de Kock has rediscovered himself. On the back of a 46-ball 90 and a 35-ball 65 against India in December last year, the South African batter had a sensational campaign at the SA20 2026. In his maiden season for the Sunrisers Eastern Cape, de Kock played a crucial role in the franchise’s third title triumph.

Scoring 390 runs in 12 matches, which included four half-centuries, de Kock finished the campaign as the leading run-scorer. Understandably, the South African national team would want de Kock to carry his rich vein of form into the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Not only is he the rainbow nation’s leading run-scorer in this format, with 2771 runs, but de Kock also has experience aplenty of playing in Indian conditions, having represented six Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises in 12 seasons.

The Quint asked former South African skipper Graeme Smith about the importance of de Kock’s form during a special ‘Media Day facilitated by SA20.’ Here’s what he had to say:

It is great to see Quinton de Kock back, looking fresh, happy and enjoying his cricket again, and that is certainly coming through in his performances. That bodes well for South Africa at the World Cup. At the last T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the US, he was instrumental in South Africa reaching the final, playing some key roles. He will be an important player from an experience perspective, but also in terms of performance at the top of the order and with the gloves.

Graeme Smith

Though there is a dearth of international experience in the Proteas squad, Smith is counting on the players’ IPL experience to come good next month. He told us:

Even though there may be elements of inexperience, a lot of our players are exposed to playing in India, whether through the IPL or recent tours. There is experience in subcontinent conditions. Players like Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs have spent a lot of time in India during their young careers, so they understand what it is like to play in front of noisy crowds, on those pitches, and what is required to be successful. The T20 World Cup squad has received a lot of attention, particularly after SA20, with debates around selections and omissions, and that is great. It shows a competitive environment, with many players pushing for places. That is a much better position to be in. I am excited about this team, and if they get the combinations right, they should be able to go very deep in the tournament.

Graeme Smith

On Sunrisers Eastern Cape winning SA20 2026, the league commissioner said:

You have to give credit to them for the way the Sunrisers Eastern Cape performed. I think it was one of our best seasons of cricket ever. The games were highly competitive, we saw hundreds, hat-tricks, close games and Super Overs. From a cricketing point of view, it was the best ever. We saw an incredible final that was won by small margins. Two players in particular, Stubbs and Breetzke, batted incredibly well to get their team over the line in the last over. Sunrisers have built real passion, the city has got behind them, and they have done well. But we know how competitive all the other owners are, and I expect them all to bounce back.

Graeme Smith