KKR vs LSG: Quinton de Kock Scores Ton, Notches Highest-Ever Opening Stand With KL Rahul
Quinton de Kock played with exuberance for Lucknow Super Giants against Kolkata Knight Riders to score a brilliant ton in an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 match on Wednesday.
He stayed unbeaten on 140 (70b, 10x6s, 10x4s) as LSG scored a massive 210/0 in 20 overs. His fellow opener and LSG captain KL Rahul stayed unbeaten on 68* (51b, 4x6s, 3x4s).
When they crossed the score of 185 together, the duo’s stand became the highest-ever by openers in the history of the IPL. This is also the highest-ever stand for any wicket against KKR. LSG won the match by two runs and qualified for play-offs.
de Kock’s score of 140 is the highest individual score in IPL 2022. This is also the third highest-ever individual score in the history of the IPL after the 175* by Chris Gayle (RCB v PWI, Bengaluru, 2013) and a 158* by Brendon McCullum (KKR v RCB, Bengaluru, 2008).
Rahul and De Kock’s stand of 210* is the third-highest ever partnership for any wicket in IPL after 229 by Virat Kohli – AB De Villiers (RCB v GL, Bengaluru, 2016) and 215* Kohli-De Villiers (RCB v MI, Mumbai , 2015).
Both Rahul and de Kock got the measure of the wicket in the powerplay, reaching 44 for no loss, before flaunting their wide range of strokes on way to their unbeaten 210-run stand.
De Kock, who was dropped by Abhijeet Tomar off Umesh Yadav in the third over, made KKR pay heavily by getting the highest score of the season.
The South African was in his elements smashing the spinners and pacers with equal disdain.
He used the pull shot against the faster bowlers and was at his innovative best against the seasoned spin duo of Sunil Narine and off-colour Varun Chakaravarthy.
Out of the sixes he hit, de Kock’s reverse sweep off Narine stood out. Anything short from the pacers, de Kock was happy to put it away over deep square leg region.
The southpaw was in no mood to stop even after reaching three figures. Tim Southee was poor in the death overs as he fed balls after balls in the slot for de Kock to deposit it into the stands.
His 19th over yielded as many as 27 runs with de Kock finding the boundary at will.
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Rahul watched de Kock’s breathtaking knock from the best seat in the house. The skipper did not have much to do in the slog overs but he too played some sublime strokes on way to his third half century of the season.
Rahul also completed 500 runs in the tournament for the fifth season in a row. PTI KKR bowlers leaked 88 runs in the last five overs.