Captaincy did not seem to bother Quinton de Kock as he managed to rack up two half-centuries in tough India conditions in a drawn T20I series, but can we rate him after just two games? asks Khalid Mohidin. 

During the defeat in the 2nd T20I, De Kock seemed to be the only player who performed at the level required, along with Temba Bavuma who scored a gutsy 49. 

While defending 149-5, the Proteas never seemed like they were in the contest as India chased down their target almost seamlessly.

Whilst in the field, De Kock understandably looked like he was still finding his feet with regards to making decisions on who should bowl when and he had a particular struggle with his fast bowlers who were targeted by the India openers.

The biggest take away was that the captaincy did not seem to put pressure on his performance with the bat. 

Being captain has given him the power to decide how he will approach his innings, instead of sticking to a pre-decided game plan.

This was even more evident in the third T20I when he led the Proteas to a nine-wicket win. 

What was clear in this match was his ability to rotate his bowlers. He made brave calls like opening with Bjorn Fortuin. His management of Fortuin was particularly pleasing as well as his utilization of Kagiso Rabada, improved well after an expensive opening over and managed to finish with three wickets.

READ: QUINTON DE KOCK PRAISES BJORN FORTUIN

Despite the positives, he has only played two games as skipper. This isn’t enough evidence to judge the 26-year-old’s leadership ability. 

The most glaring change, however, is during his press conferences. He seemed un-rattled and calm in front of the media, unlike the Quinton of before who always had a quirky comment in him. We did see that side of him slip out however, after his first pre-match presser when he was caught on camera saying “That was a dull one”.

But other than that – cool, calm and collected. 

We can take a lot of positives out of De Kock’s first stint as captain. He certainly has the “lead by example” mantra nailed down.

But it’s time now for his players to rally behind him and follow his example. 

WATCH: QUINTON DE KOCK POST-SERIES REACTION

Photo: Deepak Malik/Sportzpics for BCCI