On the eve of the first T20I against England, South African skipper Quinton de Kock said they won’t under-estimate Ben Stokes despite his modest record in the shortest format.

In 26 T20Is, the England all-rounder has amassed 305 runs at an average of 17.94 with 47 being his top score. With the ball, he has claimed 14 wickets in T20Is.

But those who have followed the IPL over the years know how dangerous Stokes can be in the shortest format of the game.

Stokes was the MVP in the 2017 edition of IPL, while he starred as an opener for Rajasthan Royals (RR) this year.

In one game, Stokes slammed a 59-ball century against Mumbai Indians and De Kock witnessed his brutal knock from behind the stumps.

"I just played in a game where I was the wicketkeeper and Ben Stokes smashed a hundred against us," De Kock quoted as saying by Sky Sports.

"He's still a very top-class player and adds a lot of value to that team. I'm not really a big believer in players' records, especially when it comes to that sort of record.

"Stokesy is one guy who can hurt you with his bowling, do something spectacular in the field and in batting we all know how dangerous he is.

"But when you look at their squad there are a lot of guys to watch out for, you can't pick just one guy. Any player in the England team, if they come off they can really hurt you," he added.

England and South Africa are slated to play three T20Is and as many ODIs. The T20I series will start on Friday (November 27) in Cape Town.