Proteas wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock has been rewarded for his good form with the bat during the just-ended series against Sri Lanka.
De Kock has moved up by four places to reach a career-best eighth position in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s Twenty20 International (T20I) Player Rankings.
The 28-year-old left-hander was the leading run-scorer during the T20I series in Sri Lanka with 153 runs to inspire the Proteas to 3-0 series whitewash.
He capped off the series in style with an unbeaten 46-ball 59 in the third T20I match in Colombo that his side won by 10 wickets.
De Kock’s performances have helped him vault into the top 10 in the rankings for the first time, according to the latest rankings released by the ICC on Wednesday.
De Kock has had a career-high ranking of third in One Day Internationals and sixth in Tests.
Another South Africa to make progress in the rankings is Aiden Markram, who has moved up 12 places to 11th position while Bjorn Fortuin (up 103 places to 43rd) and Anrich Nortje (up 29 places to 71st) have made rapid progress in the bowlers’ list.
South Africa’s success in the recent T20I series in Sri Lanka will be a good confidence boost for the team ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman.
The Proteas will open their campaign against Australia in the first game of the Super 12 stage at the Abu Dhabi International Cricket Stadium on October 23.
The Mark Boucher-coached South Africa side are in a tough group with England, Australia and the West Indies along with two yet-to-be-determined qualifiers from the opening round of the competition.
