Durban Super Giants appoint Quinton de Kock as captain for SA20

South Africa wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock has been named Durban Super Giants captain for the inaugural SA20 competition.

Durban Super Giants appoint De Kock as captain for SA20 (AP Photo)

By India Today Web Desk: Durban Super Giants (DSG) have announced wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock as their skipper ahead of the inaugural SA20. The new SA20 league provides a platform for young players to rise to the occasion, demonstrate their abilities, and move one step closer to making the national team.

The Durban franchise took to social media to announce Quinton de Kock as the player who would assume leadership duties ahead of the new season. “Aye, Aye Captain! #SuperFam, Quinton de Kock is all set to don the captaincy. Hit (heart emoji) if you are eXXcited to see him lead our ship,” announced the franchise on its Instagram handle.

De Kock has led South Africa in four Tests, eight One-Day Internationals, and eleven Twenty20 Internationals. De Kock also plays for the Lucknow Super Giants, an IPL team owned by the same group as this Durban outfit. De Kock retired from Test cricket in December 2021, citing the difficulty of competing in all three formats.

De Kock had a fantastic IPL season in 2022, scoring 508 runs at a strike rate of nearly 150, followed by a solid CPL season in which he scored 221 runs at a strike rate of nearly 130. His performance in the Hundred in England, however, fell short, and his most recent assignment, the men’s T20 World Cup, did not go as planned.

While the Test team prepares for a December tour of Australia, de Kock will be free to plan his SA20 campaign. In Durban, he will be assisted in leading the squad by Keshav Maharaj, Jason Holder, and head coach Lance Klusener. Their season begins on January 11th, when they face de Kock’s hometown team, the Johannesburg Super Kings.