Quinton de Kock admitted to a humorous pre-match slip-up after his T20I innings in Centurion — he forgot his own bats and had to borrow one from team-mate Dewald Brevis. The lapse added an unusual subplot to an otherwise dominant performance: de Kock still smashed 115 off 49 balls at SuperSport Park, powering South Africa to a seven-wicket win and sealing the three-match series with a game to spare.

The 33-year-old left-hander laughed about the incident in his post-match comments, admitting he felt “a bit stupid” when he realised his equipment was missing.

“I’ve got some new bags over the last year… I just went blank,” he said, describing frantic phone calls half an hour before the team bus departed in a bid to retrieve his gear. With no time to spare, he borrowed Brevis’ bat — and quickly discovered the willow didn’t suit his feel.

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“To be honest, I didn’t really enjoy it. The weight was out of place for me. It’s for youngsters who swing hard,” Quinton de Kock joked, before promising to use his own bats if they arrive before the next match. The anecdote underlined both the professional pressures players face and the camaraderie inside the Proteas dressing room.

Not his bat. Definitely his runs. 😎🏏

Quinton de Kock’s masterclass in the second KFC T20I came with Dewald Brevis’ bat in hand. 💥

Here’s the story from both sides of this now-iconic knock 😂#Unbreakable pic.twitter.com/rLDtqpbm1f

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) January 30, 2026

On the cricketing front, de Kock’s innings was clinical and brutal in equal measure. He exploited a flat Centurion surface, dispatching boundaries and clearing the ropes with ease — his 115 included six fours and 10 sixes.

Yet he credited hard work behind the scenes: “In T20 cricket, I’ve worked harder for my runs, which gives me a lot more satisfaction,” he reflected. Quinton de Kock also praised the pitch. “The wicket was very good and we played accordingly. It was really nice,” he said, adding that while some matches demand clever, street-smart batting, others simply reward clean hitting — and Centurion was the latter.

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His knock set up a comfortable chase and signalled South Africa’s middle-order depth. With the series wrapped and confidence high, the Proteas can turn to the next challenge, buoyed by de Kock’s match-winning form.