South Africa batting coach Ashwell Prince has compared Quinton de Kock’s influence on the current team to the aura that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli bring to India.
Since reversing his 2023 ODI retirement earlier this year, de Kock has looked in imperious form, smashing 239 runs at an average of 119.50 in the recent series in Pakistan.
“Quinny is massive for us,” Prince said. “When Rohit and Virat walk into India’s dressing room, the energy shifts; that’s exactly what Quinton does here. His experience and quality lift everyone, especially the younger left-handers and the less experienced guys. Just having conversations with him in the changeroom, or batting alongside him in the middle, is priceless for their development. He’s a huge influence.”
Prince also praised all-rounder Marco Jansen for his match-defining performance in the Test series win over India (93 off 91 and 6/48 in Guwahati), stressing the importance of role clarity.
“For Marco at No. 8 or 9, the message is simple: once he’s in, he has to score fast because there aren’t many partners left. We’ve encouraged him to play aggressively, and he delivered exactly that.
“Then with the ball, the conditions in India surprised us with extra bounce. Our batters fed that back, we adjusted the plan on the spot to exploit the steep bounce rather than sticking to a pre-set script, and Marco executed brilliantly. That adaptability – reading what’s in front of you and responding – is what makes the difference.”
