Watch: Quinton de Kock’s massive statement on India’s squad ahead of Super 8 clash in T20 World Cup 2026

South Africa's star batter Quinton de Kock has heaped praise on the Indian team ahead of their clash in the Super 8 of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. The game will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on February 22. Both teams have been unbeaten in the tournament, producing some stunning performances. 

When De Kock was asked about whether the current Indian team is better than the one that played in the T20 World Cup 2024 finals, he gave a cheeky reply. The South African batter called the entire team 'talented' and drew a slight comparison between Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and the current players. 

"A bit of mix and match. I think India have got some seriously talented guys. But i am saying that back in that team you guys had Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, which was quite a deadly batting unit. The guys that have come in replacements just like almost replacing them by scoring that amount of runs. It's a double edged sword like you said. The youngsters are batting really well," said Quinton de Kock in the press conference.  

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This is a crucial game for both teams since they have performed well in the group stage, and it's time for them to carry the same momentum forward. If we look at both squads, some outstanding players have played incredible knocks in the past. The audience can expect a few fireworks throughout the match.

The teams haven't really changed much: Quinton de Kock

The left-handed batter revealed that the team that deals with the pressure better will win the game. They have played quite a lot of matches in the last couple of months and know the players in and out. This will help them strategize better against their opponents. 

"What's going to make for quite a good game tomorrow, I think, is that we've played against each other quite a bit over the last two months. To be honest, the teams haven't really changed much. So I think it's more when you're out there on the pressure side, who deals with the pressure better and wins the small moments in the game, and not even just playing against India," added De Kock. 

India and South Africa met in an all-format series back in 2025, where the Proteas beat the hosts in the Test series but went on lose the T20I and ODI series. They played some quality cricket throughout the series and threatened India in several occasions.