Quinton de Kock, the explosive South African wicketkeeper-batter, has established himself as a dominant force in the Indian Premier League (IPL) over the years. Known for his aggressive, free-flowing strokeplay at the top of the order and reliable glovework, he offers a rare combination of skills that is highly sought after by franchises.
De Kock has played for multiple teams, including Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals), Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Mumbai Indians (where he won consecutive titles in 2019 and 2020), and Lucknow Super Giants, before his most recent stint with Kolkata Knight Riders. Across 115 IPL matches, he has amassed 3,309 runs at an average of 30.64 and a strong strike rate of 134.02, including two hundreds and 24 half-centuries.
In the recently released list of 350 players, who will go under the hammer in the IPL 2026 mini-auction, De Kock has been included in the INR 1 crore base price category, making him an attractive and potentially valuable purchase for teams looking to strengthen their top-order and wicketkeeping department. On that note, let’s have a look at some teams who can target the Proteas star in the upcoming auction.
5 franchises that can go for Quinton de Kock in IPL 2026 auction
1) Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
- Purse Remaining: ₹64.3 cr
- Slots Remaining: 13 (6 overseas)
KKR are in a commanding position with the biggest remaining purse and the most slots to fill. They have a pressing need for a quality wicketkeeper-opener, a role De Kock fits perfectly. Interestingly, KKR recently released him ahead of the retention submission deadline. A pattern often seen in IPL auctions is teams targeting their released players again at a lesser price, and given his reduced ₹1 crore base price, KKR could attempt to re-acquire the South African star for a bargain to address a critical squad requirement.
2) Delhi Capitals (DC)
- Purse Remaining: ₹21.8 cr
- Slots Remaining: 8 (5 overseas)
Following the release of Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk, DC needs an aggressive opening partner for KL Rahul who can dominate the powerplay. De Kock’s natural attacking game makes him an ideal candidate to provide the quick starts DC lacked in their recent campaigns. Furthermore, De Kock has a history with the franchise, having played for the then-Delhi Daredevils back in 2014-2016, providing a sense of familiarity. Their healthy purse of ₹21.8 cr also gives them the financial flexibility to bid strongly for him.
3) Rajasthan Royals (RR)
- Purse Remaining: ₹16.05 cr
- Slots Remaining: 9 (1 overseas)
With a limited auction purse and only one overseas slot remaining, Rajasthan Royals will be extremely focused on securing value-for-money purchases to rebuild their squad after the departure of key players like Sanju Samson (traded to CSK). De Kock, at a ₹1 crore base price, presents an opportunity to fill the crucial overseas wicketkeeper-batter slot efficiently. His experience and ability to anchor or accelerate the innings would be invaluable to a slightly depleted RR top-order.
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4) Punjab Kings (PBKS)
- Purse Remaining: ₹11.5 cr
- Slots Remaining: 4 (2 overseas)
With a stable core of retained players but a limited budget, Punjab Kings need to focus on acquiring a quality wicketkeeper-batter. Following the release of Josh Inglis (due to availability issues), PBKS need an explosive wicketkeeper who can open the batting or provide top-order flexibility. De Kock’s reputation as a hard-hitting opener makes him a prime target to fulfil this exact role for PBKS, allowing them to maximise their two available overseas slots.
5) Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
- Purse Remaining: ₹25.5 cr
- Slots Remaining: 10 (2 overseas)
While SRH already boast a strong opening pair in Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, they could target De Kock as a reliable No. 3 batter to stabilize the middle order or as a backup wicketkeeper option for Heinrich Klaasen. De Kock has previously shown his versatility to bat outside the opening slot. Given their decent remaining purse, SRH have the financial capacity to bring him in, adding a layer of depth and experience that could be crucial for their title aspirations, particularly if either of their main openers or Klaasen faces an injury or a dip in form.
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