Icon of South African bowling Dale Steyn recently caused a stir on social media by sharing expert predictions for the future T20 World Cup 2026. While waiting for a connecting flight in Mumbai on Monday, January 26, 2026, the legendary pacer invited his fans to an improbable question-and-answer session on X (formerly Twitter). The interaction quickly turned into a tentpole tournament India and Sri Lankahere, Steyn provided a clear vision of who would dominate the run charts.
Dale Steyn has named his leading run-scorer pick for the 2026 T20 World Cup
The highlight of the session came when a user asked Steyn to predict the top scorer for the 2026 edition, specifically asking for one name from India and another from South Africa. Steyn didn’t hesitate to support his former team-mate, simply replying: ‘I’m going with GDK!’ His confirmation Quinton de Kock He follows his sensational form from the opening game in the recently concluded SA20 2026 season, where De Kock finished as the tournament’s leading goalscorer while in charge. Sunrisers Eastern Cape they reached their fourth consecutive final.
I go with GDK!
— Dale Stein (@DaleSteyn62) January 27, 2026
When asked if the Proteas can take it a step further from the 2024 campaign in which they narrowly lost the final to India, Steyn expressed his high confidence in the rhythm of the current squad:
“Yes. All the players look good, especially the starting 11, the bench is a bit cold, but that’s okay, they are still solid and I’m sure they will surprise a few people.” Stein said.
Yes 🙌
All the players look in good form, especially the starting 11, the bench is a bit cold, but that’s okay, they are still solid and I’m sure they will surprise a few people if they get a chance.— Dale Stein (@DaleSteyn62) January 27, 2026
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Perfect form in international cricket ahead of T20 World Cup 2026
After returning to the T20I squad in October 2025, De Kock is struggling with the freedom of a man with nothing to prove. His comeback series against India in December 2025 served as a warning to the rest of the world; In the second T20I at New Chandigarh, he relied on his trademark traditional batting to make a tough chase look easy, hitting a blistering 90 off just 46 balls. He followed it up with another 35-ball 65 in the final match of that series, proving that his time away from the pressure had rejuvenated his skills rather than rusting them.
This international form is perfectly reflected in his domestic performances. Leading the Eastern Cape in the SA20 2026 season, De Kock finished as the tournament’s top run-scorer with 390 runs from 12 matches, including a record-breaking century at Centurion. During that span, his strikeout rate hovered around an astounding 155, significantly higher than his career average. With 205 runs in just the last four competitive matches, Steyn predicts he will be the “highest run-getter”. World Cup 2026 carries significant weight.
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