Xtra Time Web Desk: The reaction of Lucknow Super Giants opener Quinton de Kock said it all after he reached his hundred against the Kolkata Knight Riders at DY Patil stadium on Wednesday night. The Proteas wicket keeper batter (140 off 70 balls) went down on his knee and kissed the turf. He was soon on his feet and pumped his fist as his wife along with his infant baby watched from the stands,
De Kock was also involved in a highest opening partnership (210*) with LSG captain KL Rahul who scored 68 runs off 51 balls. The duo broke the earlier record held by Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) Jonny Bairstow and David Warner when they added 185-runs against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in IPL 2019.
De Kock’s unbeaten 140 is now the third highest individual score in the league after Chris Gayle’s 175* (vs Pune Warriors India in 2013) and Brendon McCullum’s 158* (vs RCB in 2008).
Earlier this season, Chennai Super Kings’ Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway came close to shattering the record, registering a 182-run stand for the first wicket against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
This is also the highest partnership for any wicket against KKR, after the unbeaten 167 by Mumbai Indians’ Rohit Sharma and Herschelle Gibbs for the second wicket in 2012.
Overall, this is the third highest partnership ever in the IPL after RCB’s Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers’ 229 (vs GL in 2016) and 215* (vs MI in 2015).