South Africa opener Quinton de Kock etches name in history book after T20 WC heartbreak
Jun 29, 2024
Bridgetown [Barbados], June 30 : South Africa opener Quinton de Kock etched his name in the history book for scoring the most runs for the Proteas in a single edition of the T20 World Cup.
Despite ending the tournament on the losing side, de Kock almost got his team across the finishing line against a fierce bowling line-up.
The experienced left-handed batter struck 39 off 31 deliveries. His knock in the final took his overall tally to 243 which is the most by any Proteas batter in the history of the competition.
He surpassed the iconic all-rounder Jacques Kallis who racked up 238 runs in the 2009 edition and held the record for almost 15 years.
In nine games, the 31-year-old managed to bag 243 runs under his belt at an average of 27.00 and a strike rate of 140.46.
The Proteas star played the anchor role for the majority of the time that he spent on the crease. However, his time concluded after Arshdeep Singh was introduced back into the attack in the 12th over.
Despite breaking the jinx of falling short in the ICC semi-final, the tournament once again ended in yet another heartbreak for the Proteas.
Despite managing to reach the final unbeaten, it was tears of sorrow for the Aiden Markram-led side. On one side where tears of sorrow occupied the camp, it was a moment of jubilation for India.
The 11-year-long ICC trophy drought ended with tears of joy as they won their first ICC title since the Champions Trophy triumph in 2013.
Apart from ending their hiatus, India became the first team to lift the title undefeated in the history of the T20 World Cup.
South Africa had one hand on their maiden title when they needed 26 runs in the final four overs. But the Indian pacers notched up their game and sealed a historic 7-run win to lift the title.