Varun Chakravarthy has emerged as a persistent threat to the South African batting order, leading senior pro Quinton de Kock to advise his younger teammates to rely on their natural instincts rather than overthinking the matchup. Chakravarthy’s dominance is well-documented; he has claimed 22 wickets in just eight T20I appearances against the Proteas, a tally that includes 10 wickets taken during their high-stakes bilateral series in December 2025.
ALSO READ: Explained: How Pakistan can qualify for T20 World Cup semis despite washout against New Zealand
Quinton de Kock discloses South Africa's plan against Varun Chakaravarthy
Despite this history, South Africa enters the Super 8 stage as a more settled and confident unit. Quinton De Kock noted that the team has undergone specialized preparation to decode the "mystery" spinner, who is currently ranked as the world's top T20I bowler. By studying his ability to turn the ball both ways, the South African camp hopes to execute a more disciplined game plan and neutralise India’s premier middle-overs weapon in Ahmedabad.
"I think everyone has their own way of going about it. I think just at the end of the day our guys just have to stick to their own strengths and use their instincts at the right time. I think that's it," De Kock said on the eve of their Super Eights game against India.
"He is a very good bowler at the moment and obviously he bowled really well against us in the series, like two months ago. Hopefully, the guys have, after that series, just had a little bit more time to have a look at him, speak about how they're going to play against him. So, hopefully with their plans, it comes off. If the plan doesn't come off there's a reason why (it won't). It's probably because he (Varun) is the number one T20 spinner in the world. So, we'll have to see what we can do," he added.
ALSO READ: Only 4 India players turned up for practice ahead of key Super 8 clash vs South Africa, know why
Abhishek Sharma is bound to fail: Quinton De Kock
The typically reserved Quinton de Kock downplayed the significance of Abhishek Sharma’s recent run of form. Despite the Indian opener entering the Super 8 stage on the back of three consecutive ducks, de Kock refused to read too much into the statistics. The veteran South African wicketkeeper suggested that such slumps are often part of the game's volatility, particularly for aggressive top-order batters.
"He's the number one T20 batsman in the world at the moment according to the ranking, so he must keep doing what he is doing. He's obviously quite young so he is bound to fail. So being number one obviously means something. I'm sure at some point he's going to play an important knock," De Kock said when asked if there was any advice for the struggling Indian opener," he added.