Quinton de Kock surpasses AB de Villiers to become South Africa’s best batter in T20 World Cups

South Africa wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock etched his name in the history books during the ongoing match against Afghanistan in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The left-handed batter surpassed former batter AB de Villiers to become the leading run-getter for the Proteas in T20 World Cups.

South Africa were asked to bat first after losing the toss in their second match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, February 11. De Kock opened the batting alongside skipper Aiden Markram. Fazalhaq Farooqi provided the early breakthrough, as Markram scored 5 runs off 8 balls.

Quinton de Kock Smashes Fourth Half-Century for South Africa in T20 World Cups

After the early setback, Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton rescued the team with a key partnership for the second wicket. They added 114 runs off 61 balls against Afghanistan’s quality bowling attack, including Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, and Mohammad Nabi.

Rashid broke the partnership by dismissing De Kock in his third over. De Kock was dismissed after scoring 59 runs off 41 balls, including five boundaries and three sixes. The left-handed batter completed his half-century off 34 balls. Notably, it was his fourth fifty for South Africa in T20 World Cups.

Quinton de Kock Becomes South Africa’s Leading Run-Getter in T20 World Cups

During his knock, De Kock also broke the record for most runs for South Africa in T20 World Cups. The wicketkeeper-batter entered the match with 678 runs in 28 matches.

He went on to surpass AB de Villiers in the list of highest run-getters for South Africa in T20 World Cups. The former Proteas skipper scored 717 runs in ICC tournaments in the shorter format. JP Duminy (568), David Miller (462), and Aiden Markram (448) are also on the list.

Most Runs for South Africa in T20 World Cups:

Quinton de Kock Continues to Shine as South Africa’s T20 Mainstay

De Kock has played a key role for South Africa in modern-day cricket. He has delivered strong performances across formats and remains one of the team’s most dependable top-order batters.

His best T20 World Cup knock came in the 2024 edition. He scored 74 off 40 balls, including 7 fours and 5 sixes, against hosts USA in North Sound as South Africa won the match by 18 runs.

The southpaw is South Africa’s highest run-scorer in T20Is, with 2,998 runs in 104 matches at an average of 31.89 and a strike rate of 142.42.

He is also one of only three South African batters with multiple T20I centuries (2) and has added 19 half-centuries. His contribution will be crucial in South Africa’s dream to win their maiden T20 World Cup in India.

Also read: Dale Steyn becomes Afghanistan bowling coach during South Africa clash in T20 World Cup 2026