Revealed: Why Quinton de Kock hasn't been included in South Africa's T20I squad for India series

South African opener Quinton de Kock has already retired from Test cricket and ODI cricket.

South Africa revealed their squad for the upcoming all-format series against the visiting Indian team which will begin on December 10. South Africa will play 3 ODIs, 3 T20Is, and 2 Tests against India at home.

While Temba Bavuma and Kagiso Rabada were rested from the white-ball leg of the series, another name missing from T20Is was that of Quinton de Kock. Notably, De Kock had announced his retirement from the ODI format ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 and he called time on his career with a superlative performance for the Proteas in the tournament.

Quinton de Kock had an outstanding World Cup 2023, scoring 594 runs in ten matches, including four hundreds. De Kock was South Africa’s leading run-scorer in the competition, which they lost in the semi-finals to Australia at Eden Gardens.

“It was originally his plan to retire altogether”- SA coach Rob Walter on Quinton de Kock

South Africa white-ball coach Rob Walter has made a shocking revelation about opener Quinton de Kock. On Monday, December 4, Walter told the press that Quinton de Kock wanted to retire from all formats of the game but was prevented from doing so.

Following discussions with team management, de Kock declared prior of the World Cup 2023 that he would retire from one-day international cricket following the event. The left-hander had already announced his retirement from Test cricket in 2021.

“In conversations with Quinny at the time of him walking away from ODI cricket [after the World Cup in India, which ended last month], it was originally his plan to retire altogether. I asked him to hold off on that decision. He had a Big Bash opportunity which clashed with the India series. In order to keep him in the game this was the resolution,” Rob Walters was quoted as saying by India Today.

Walter also revealed in the press conference that de Kock will be in running for the T20 World Cup 2024. Rob Walter said that Bavuma was rested from the series to keep him fresh for the 2-match Test series against India, which the side considers the most important leg of the tour.

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