Quinton de Kock delivered a masterclass in Visakhapatnam, lighting up the third ODI between India and South Africa with a century that carved his name deeper into cricket’s history books.
The Proteas opener produced a blistering knock of 106 off 89, racing to three figures in just 80 deliveries, and in the process, added multiple records to his growing legacy as one of the most prolific wicketkeeper-batters of the modern era.
De Kock Matches Sangakkara’s Elite Landmark
De Kock’s ton in Vizag marked his 23rd century in One Day Internationals, drawing him level with Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara for the most centuries scored by a designated wicketkeeper in ODI cricket.
It is a milestone that puts him ahead of some iconic names who have defined the role over the last three decades.
Below the pair sits West Indies star Shai Hope, who has compiled 19 centuries, followed by Adam Gilchrist with 16, England’s Jos Buttler with 11, and India’s own MS Dhoni, who finished his ODI career with 10 hundreds while donning the gloves.
Fastest to Seven ODI Tons Against India
As if equalling an all-time record weren’t enough, de Kock also became the fastest batter to register seven ODI centuries against India, a feat that underscores how consistently he has dominated one of world cricket’s strongest bowling attacks.
His silky timing, clean ball-striking, and relentless scoring tempo once again proved too tough for the hosts to contain.
De Kock’s century not only stabilised South Africa’s innings, which began on a really slow note, but also reaffirmed his stature as a modern great in white-ball cricket.
It is also worth noting that this innings comes at a time when he is in the twilight years of his career, and has setup a platform for the Proteas to post a challenging total in this series decider ODI clash vs India.
