Quinton de Kock seen here after scoring a century for the Proteas against India earlier this year, smashed his way to the third highest IPL score for his team the Lucknow Super Giants on Wednesday night. Picture: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
Proteas batting sensation Quinton de Kock smashed his way to the third highest score in the history of the Indian Premier League as he led the Lucknow Super Giants to a monstrous 210/0 against the Kolkata Knight Riders in Mumbai on Wednesday night.
De Kock was in immense form as he smashed an unbeaten 140 runs off just 70 deliveries, launching 10 sixes and crashing 10 fours along the way to his second IPL century and his highest ever T20 score.
Indian opener KL Rahul was a virtual spectator as he clubbed his way to 68 off 51 balls, but spent most of the innings watching the carnage from De Kock, as the pair shared in the highest partnership of this season’s IPL and third highest ever.
De Kock did live a bit of a charmed life during his innings, as he was dropped three times, the first on 12 off the bowling of Umesh Yadav in the third over, second time on 69 by keeper Sam Billings and third with him on 127 in the final over off the bowling of Andre Russell.
De Kock still had to make use of his chances, which he did to perfection, with the last two overs of their innings the biggest, as Tim Southee’s penultimate over went for 27 runs, with three sixes in a row from De Kock, while Russell’s final over went for 19 with De Kock smashing four fours in a row.
Only two batsmen now stand above de Kock’s score, with West Indian star Chris Gayle’s unbeaten 175 off 66 balls for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2013 the highest and recently named England Test coach Brendon McCullum’s unbeaten 158 off 73 balls for KKR in 2008 the second.
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.
