Lucknow Super Giants' Quinton de Kock plays a shot during the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket match between Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 7, 2023. (Photo by INDRANIL MUKHERJEE / AFP)
Quinton de Kock has flashed hot and cold so far in this season’s Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
With three half-centuries to his name and a highest score of 81, De Kock has made some important contributions opening the batting for his team.
Following their victory over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Tuesday, LSG are up to fourth on the IPL table.
That victory was mostly due to the swashbuckling knock of Aussie Marcus Stoinis who bludgeoned 124 not out from 63 balls. That came after De Kock lasted just three balls before he was bowled for a duck.
It was De Kock’s first scoreless contribution in the eight matches for LSG, but he also has four other scores under 20. The 81 from 56 balls he scored against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on April 2 remains his best score, and that was also part of a winning effort.
His average in the 2024 IPL currently sits at 28.5 with a strike-rate of 134. In his 104 matches in the IPL, De Kock has scored 3135 runs at an average of 31.99 and a strike-rate of 134.20.
The best season in the IPL for De Kock, in terms of run-scoring, came in 2019 when he scored 529 runs at an average of 35.26.
De Kock has retired for the Proteas in Test cricket and One-Day Internationals (ODIs) but remains available for T20 Internationals.
That means he should be a key member of the Proteas at the T20 World Cup starting in June, straight after the IPL finishes at the end of May.