“He is still a leader within the team and his experience and knowledge of the game is invaluable,” Maharaj says of de Kock.
ESPNcriinfo staff
Quinton de Kock has been replaced as captain of SA20 side Durban Supergiants by Keshav Maharaj for the 2024 tournament.
“I am delighted, humbled and privileged to accept the opportunity to captain the DSG franchise in the next SA20 league,” Maharaj said in a video released by the franchise on Friday. “I’m really excited as a Durban boy – I’ve been here for 18 years of my life and it’s a place I call home. So I’m hoping to bring some performances from domestic cricket to the SA20 from a leadership perspective. From a player’s perspective as well.”
Former South Africa captain de Kock, who has been part of the squads of both the Super Giants franchises – Lucknow in the IPL and Durban in the SA20 – led the team in the inaugural season of the six-team South African league, where they finished a match apiece. Bottom after winning four of their ten games (equal to Sunrisers Eastern Cape and Paarl Royals respectively, but trailing them in net run rate). De Kock scored 271 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 151.39.
“I want to thank Quinny for all his hard work on and off the field,” Maharaj said. “However, his work is far from over. He is still a leader within the team and his experience and knowledge of the game will be invaluable to this unit. And playing for us will be a big and integral part in bringing the team the trophy to Durban this year.”
De Kock has mostly warmed the bench in this year’s IPL, with Lucknow opting for Kyle Meyers. De Kock came to the IPL after national duty and his replacement in the order, Meyers, scored 73 off 38 balls and 53 off 22 balls in the two games the team played before de Kock’s arrival. De Kock scored a 41-ball 70 in a game – against the Gujarat Titans – when he opened alongside Mays after an injury ruled out regular captain and opener KL Rahul.
SA20 2023 was not particularly impressive for Maharaj, who has not played competitively since early March this year after rupturing his Achilles tendon during the Johannesburg Test against West Indies, bowling eight innings (23 overs) and taking four wickets. Economy 7.86.
However, he is considered a leader in South African cricket and has led the national team in seven ODIs and five T20Is between 2021 and 2022.