Quinton de Kock’s form in T20 Internationals for South Africa this year has been troubling, with scores of 4, 41, 19, 20, 0, 18, and 10. Despite his struggles, he was chosen over Ryan Rickelton for the final group stage game against Nepal. Unfortunately, de Kock once again failed to make a significant impact, enduring a scratchy 11-ball stay at the crease. As South Africa heads into the Super Eights, de Kock’s inconsistent performances have become a major concern for the team.

Adding to his woes, de Kock also had a subpar Indian Premier League 2024 season. Throughout the tournament, 6 of his 11 dismissals came from deliveries that were either on length or short. Although he managed to avoid getting out to spinners in the IPL, the T20 World Cup 2024 has exposed this vulnerability. His inability to counter spin effectively has raised alarms, especially as the competition intensifies.

In the match against Nepal, de Kock’s difficulties against spin were once again on display. Nepal, lacking pace bowlers who could trouble the left-hander, turned to their spinners, and Dipendra Singh Airee successfully exploited this weakness. The match-up worked perfectly for the Rhinos, highlighting de Kock’s ongoing struggles and increasing the pressure on him as South Africa prepares for the critical Super Eights stage.

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Decoding de Kock’s Struggling Patterns in T20 World Cup 2024

This year, Quinton de Kock’s vulnerabilities have been exposed, with five of his seven dismissals occurring during the powerplay. In the T20 World Cup 2024, de Kock has twice fallen prey to spinners in strikingly similar manners. In New York against Sri Lanka, he drove the ball straight back to Wanindu Hasaranga. Then, in St. Vincent on June 14, he repeated this error, hitting the ball directly back to Dipendra Singh Airee. On both occasions, the ball seemed to stop on him, leading to his downfall and underscoring a recurring issue in his technique.

The strategy against de Kock has become quite apparent: bowlers aim for the fourth or fifth stump line, whether they are pacers or spinners, knowing he is likely to offer a chance. This approach has proven effective, consistently leading to his dismissals. Conversely, when bowlers have targeted the stumps, de Kock has managed to play with confidence and ease, dispatching such deliveries effortlessly. This dichotomy in his batting highlights a critical weakness that opposing teams are eager to exploit, posing a significant challenge for South Africa as they advance to the Super Eights.

The opposition has clearly done their homework on Quinton de Kock, as nearly 39% of the deliveries bowled to him in the tournament have been just outside off, in the corridor of uncertainty. This strategic focus has yielded considerable success against him. Consequently, South Africa’s opening partnership has been among the worst in the tournament, managing only 43 runs in 38 deliveries overall.

To put this into perspective, their highest first-wicket partnership in the World Cup was a mere 22 runs against Nepal, highlighting their inability to provide strong starts. Despite these struggles, South Africa’s middle-order has repeatedly stepped up to rescue the team, compensating for the lackluster contributions from the top order.

Quinton de Kock had a prime opportunity to regain form for the Proteas ahead of the Super Eights but squandered it against Nepal. With each disappointing outing, de Kock strengthens the argument for Ryan Rickelton to be included in the starting XI. Rickelton, also a left-handed batter and wicketkeeper, had an outstanding performance in the SA20, finishing as the leading run-scorer with 530 runs at a strike rate of 173.77.

Although Rickelton didn’t make a significant impact in the three T20Is against the West Indies prior to the World Cup, his inclusion in the squad indicates his potential and capability. If he is considered good enough to be selected for the squad, surely he deserves a chance to play, especially given de Kock’s ongoing struggles.

If South Africa was hesitant to bench Quinton de Kock against Nepal—a match that had no bearing on their advancement to the Super Eights—it’s uncertain whether they will drop him as the tournament progresses. De Kock will be hoping to repay the faith the team has shown in him by delivering strong performances in the upcoming crucial matches.