In a historic moment at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Quinton de Kock shattered MS Dhoni's long-standing world record by becoming the first player to register 33 fielding dismissals in T20 World Cup history during South Africa's commanding seven-wicket victory over New Zealand on Saturday, February 14, in the 2026 T20 World Cup. The dismissal of Tim Seifert via a catch propelled the Proteas into the Super 8 stage, as the 2024 finalists chase their elusive maiden title.
De Kock's milestone catch not only etched his name in the record books but also set the tone for South Africa's clinical chase. Following the dismissal, the wicketkeeper-batter contributed a brisk 20 runs off 14 balls, forging a rapid opening partnership of 66 runs with skipper Aiden Markram to steer the team home comfortably.
South Africa has been unbeaten in the tournament so far, securing all three of their group-stage matches. De Kock himself has enjoyed a stellar start, scoring 25 runs against Canada in the opener and a match-winning 59 off 41 balls during the super-over triumph over Afghanistan.
The record-breaking 33rd dismissal surpassed the previous mark of 32 held jointly by MS Dhoni and Ab de Villiers. De Kock, who has participated in every edition of the T20 World Cup since 2014, now stands alone at the top of the all-time list for most fielding dismissals in the tournament's history.
Beyond the T20 World Cup, De Kock's prowess behind the stumps is unmatched in T20 Internationals, where he holds the record for the most fielding dismissals with 111. England's Jos Buttler is the only other player to exceed 100 dismissals in the shortest format.
As a designated wicketkeeper-batter, De Kock ranks second on the list of highest run-scorers in T20 World Cups, amassing 757 runs. Only Jos Buttler, with 1,023 runs, leads him in this elite category.
De Kock's dual excellence with bat and gloves continues to define South Africa's campaign, positioning the Proteas as strong contenders as they advance to the Super 8 phase.
