Quinton de Kock set to miss part of India vs South Africa Test series for birth of first child

South Africana wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock is set to miss the third Test of the upcoming three-match series against India as he has applied for paternity leave. De Kock and his wife Sasha are expecting their first child in early January.

The second Test of the India-South Africa series will begin in Johannesburg from January 3 while the third Test will be played in Cape Town from January 11. Given the bio-bubble and quarantine restrictions, there is a possibility that De Kock might be unavailable for both the second and the third Test matches.

South Africa's selection convener Victor Mpitsang confirmed while speaking to ESPN Cricinfo that he expects the wicketkeeper-batter to 'to miss the last Test'. In the event of the 28-year-old needing to leave the team’s bio-bubble during the second Test, it is highly unlikely that he will be able to rejoin the bio-secure environment in time to be eligible for selection for the third Test.

The report added that Kyle Verreynne or Ryan Rickelton could be among De Kock's possible replacements. Verreynne made his Test debut during South Africa's tour of the West Indies earlier this year. He managed 39 runs in three innings with a best of 27. He scored 95 in the ODI against the Netherlands in Centurion in November, a match which produced no result.

Rickelton is yet to play for South Africa but has displayed good form in domestic cricket. The 25-year-old has scored two hundreds for Lions in the last three matches.

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Quinton de Kock’s disappointing T20 World Cup 2021 campaign

De Kock did not look in great rhythm during the T20 World Cup in the UAE. In four matches, he had a highest score of 34, which came in South Africa’s last group clash against England.

The wicketkeeper-batter was embroiled in a major controversy when he sat out of the match against West Indies, refusing to take a knee to protest racism. He later issued an apology and confirmed that he was ready to take a knee in the remaining games.

Meanwhile, De Kock was not retained by his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Mumbai Indians (MI) ahead of the 2022 mega-auction. MI retained Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav and Kieron Pollard.