De Kock has returned hungrier than ever after retirement U-turn

Mullanpur: Quinton de Kock has got his hunger back to win games for South Africa, feels fitter than ever and is batting as if he never spent time away from international cricket.

His sublime 90 off 46 balls in the second T20I against India was a testament to the left-hander’s renewed purpose in playing for the country again. In the age of power-hitting, de Kock relies on conventional strokeplay and makes batting look effortless.

The 32-year-old had retired from ODIs after the 2023 World Cup and had not played the shortest format since the loss to India in the 2024 T20 World Cup final until October.

De Kock is now back playing white-ball cricket and says the time away from the game actually allowed him to realise what he was missing out on.

“I think prior to my retirement, I was losing my hunger to win games for this team. That time away just brought back my hunger. I was telling the guys, I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way,” de Kock spoke in depth about his reasons for an international comeback.

“Before when you’re young, you’re trying to just play to score runs and impress. I feel now that there’s a renewed energy where I’m not just playing. I’m playing to win every game.” agencies