Decoding Arshdeep Singh's dominance versus Quinton de Kock in T20Is
What's the story
In the first T20I match between India and South Africa at Cuttack's Barabati Stadium, Arshdeep Singh dismissed SA opener Quinton de Kock on just the second ball of the opening over. The left-arm pacer got de Kock caught out in the slip cordon for a silver duck. Arshdeep bowled a length ball that swung away after pitching, getting a thick outside edge off de Kock's bat. On this note, we look at de Kock's struggles versus Arshdeep in T20Is.
Match impact
Arshdeep's early wicket sets the tone for India
Arshdeep's early wicket of de Kock helped India make a strong start in their defense of a total of 175. The left-arm seamer later claimed one more wicket to finish with 2/14 from overs. His brilliance was instrumental in India's 101-run triumph. Earlier, India posted a competitive total of 175/6 in their allotted 20 overs, with Hardik Pandya being the star performer. The all-rounder scored an unbeaten 59 off just 28 balls.
Battle
Four dismissals in five innings
Arshdeep has now dismissed de Kock as many as four times across five T20I meetings, as per ESPNcricinfo. The Proteas opener has scored just 19 runs off 21 balls in this battle at a paltry average of 4.75. No other bowler has trapped the southpaw more than three times in T20Is. Pakistan's Shaheen Afridi and Australia's Mitchell Starc are the only other left-arm fast bowlers to dismiss de Kock multiple times in the format (2 apiece).
Information
Arshdeep only behind these names
Overall in T20 cricket, Arshdeep has dismissed de Kock five times across nine innings. England's Moeen Ali (7), New Zealand's Trent Boult (6), India's Yuzvendra Chahal (6), and West Indies's Andre Russell (6) are the only ones with more dismissals in this regard.