T20 WC: Milestones await de Kock, Buttler ahead of NZ-SA clash at Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad, February 13
Ahead of the England-South Africa clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, in the ICC T20 World Cup group stage set for Saturday, two star wicketkeeper-batters, Quinton de Kock of the Proteas and Jos Buttler of the Three Lions, approach massive career milestones.
The ICC Men's T20 World Cup will get its first massive clash as 2024 runners-up the Proteas and 2022 champions England lock horns at Ahmedabad. While QDK aims to become the first South African to score 3,000 T20I runs, Buttler aims to join the 4,000 T20I run club as its fourth member.
De Kock, who had scored a fine 59 against Afghanistan, is just two runs away from 3,000 T20I runs, which will make him the first Proteas player to do so. In 104 matches and 103 innings, he has made 2,998 runs at an average of 31.89 and a strike rate of 142.42, with two centuries and 19 fifties. Currently in this tournament, de Kock, who reversed his white-ball retirement last year, has scored 84 runs in two innings with a strike rate of 118.57 in the tournament so far.
Buttler, on the other hand, has 3,997 runs in 149 matches and 137 innings at an average of 35.06 and a strike rate of 148.69, with a century and 19 fifties and a best score of 101*. He has had a rather modest start to the tournament, with just 47 runs in two innings at a strike rate of 151.61 and a best score of 26. A big knock awaits the third-highest run-getter in the tournament's history, having recently overtaken Sri Lankan legend Mahela Jayawardene.
Squads: New Zealand Squad: Tim Seifert(w), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner(c), James Neesham, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy, Ish Sodhi, Kyle Jamieson, Devon Conway, Cole McConchie South Africa Squad: Aiden Markram(c), Quinton de Kock(w), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Corbin Bosch, Jason Smith, Anrich Nortje, Kwena Maphaka.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As a neutral fan watching from Mumbai, I just love watching Buttler bat. His six-hitting ability is insane. But de Kock on his day is equally destructive. This is why we love the World Cup - these high-stakes player battles.
Respectfully, the article focuses a lot on individual milestones, but the real story is the team clash. South Africa's bowling vs England's batting firepower. That's the key. Hope the pitch in Ahmedabad is a good one for a fair contest.
De Kock coming out of retirement for this has added so much value to SA. He's a legend. And playing at the Narendra Modi Stadium for such a big record... wow! Hope the Indian crowd gives both players a great reception. Cricket connects us all! ❤️
Stats are nice, but performance under pressure is everything. Both haven't set the tournament on fire yet. Let's see who handles the big-match pressure better. My heart says SA, but England are so dangerous. 50-50 match!
Watching from Delhi. The scheduling is perfect for a Saturday night! Perfect excuse to order some biryani and enjoy top-class cricket. Hope Buttler gets those 3 runs quickly so we can focus on the game. Come on, England!
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.