South Africa’s veteran wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock has opened up about his renewed passion for international cricket, revealing how time away from the game helped him rediscover his hunger to perform for the Proteas. However, while the left-hander is fully committed to white-ball cricket again, he has made it clear that a return to Test cricket is entirely off the table. 

De Kock, who stepped away from ODIs after the 2023 World Cup and was subsequently not picked in T20Is following the 2024 T20 World Cup, surprised many when he reversed his ODI retirement ahead of the Pakistan tour. Since then, the 32-year-old has been in spectacular form. In six ODIs after his comeback, he has piled up 353 runs at an average of over 72, smashing two centuries and two fifties.

His T20I numbers have also been impressive, scoring 121 runs in six matches, including a match-changing 90 against India in Mullanpur that helped South Africa level the series on December 11. Reflecting on his decision to return, Quinton de Kock admitted that mental fatigue had started to creep into his game before retirement. He felt the spark fading, especially with repetitive bilateral series offering little variety or challenge.

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“Before my retirement, I was losing my hunger to win games for this team. That time away brought it back. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way before,” Quinton de Kock said, speaking candidly after the win over India. “When you’re young, you play to score runs and impress. Now, there’s a renewed energy — I’m playing to win every game.”

He added that the monotony of facing the same opposition repeatedly had worn him down. “It was becoming hard to wake up and play again. We played India so many times, home and away. I was getting sick of it. I needed a new challenge, and I wasn’t getting it,” he admitted.

Now, with fresh motivation and a clearer mindset, Quinton de Kock feels he can extend his white-ball career significantly. “Coming back, I realised this is what I missed. You don’t know what you have until it’s gone. Now, I feel I can play much longer than I earlier thought.”

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Despite South Africa’s resurgence in Test cricket — including their historic away series win in India and World Test Championship triumph — Quinton de Kock has firmly shut down the idea of returning to the longest format.

“You’re not the first to ask, but it’s a straight no,” he said with a smile.

Quinton de Kock finishes his Test chapter with 54 matches and 3300 runs — a legacy sealed, even as he writes a fresh one in white-ball cricket.