Quinton de Kock hits century vs Pakistan in first ODI after reversing retirement, goes past Herschelle Gibbs

The 31-year-old wicketkeeper-batter, who reversed his ODI retirement ahead of the tour, crafted an unbeaten 123 off 119 balls as the Proteas chased down Pakistan’s total of 269 with 59 balls to spare. The innings not only marked de Kock’s first hundred since his comeback but also took his tally of ODI centuries to 22 — moving him past Herschelle Gibbs (21) to become the player with the third-most ODI hundreds for South Africa. Only AB de Villiers (25) and Hashim Amla (27) have more ODI centuries than de Kock among South Africans.

The attacking left-hander also equalled Sourav Ganguly and David Warner in the global list, which is led by Virat Kohli (51).

De Kock’s knock was a mix of class, aggression, and a touch of luck. He was handed an early reprieve when Mohammad Nawaz dropped a straightforward catch at mid-wicket, and the left-hander made full use of the chance. He soon unleashed his trademark flair, launching Saim Ayub for an 80-metre six and following up with another towering strike against Mohammad Wasim Jr in the next over.

Opening alongside Lhuan-dre Pretorius, de Kock put on 81 for the first wicket before Pretorius fell for 46 off 40 balls. The South African skipper then found a steady partner in Tony de Zorzi, and the pair combined for a 153-run stand — the second-highest partnership for South Africa against Pakistan in Pakistan. De Zorzi, too, benefited from a dropped catch by Faheem Ashraf before eventually departing for a quickfire 76 off 63 balls.

De Kock remained unbeaten as he finished the job alongside stand-in captain Matthew Breetzke (17* off 21), sealing the win in 40.1 overs.

Earlier, South Africa’s new-ball duo of Nandre Burger and Nqaba Peter dismantled Pakistan’s top order to set up the win. Burger’s fiery opening spell of 4 for 46 accounted for Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, and Mohammad Rizwan within the first five overs, while Peter chipped in with 3 for 55.

Pakistan’s innings never quite recovered from the early blows. Saim Ayub (53) and Salman Ali Agha (69) offered resistance but struggled to lift the scoring rate, both batting below a strike rate of 90. Mohammad Nawaz added late impetus with a career-best 59, striking two sixes in a fighting partnership with Agha, as Pakistan closed on 269 for 9.

But de Kock’s elegant return to the format — and his record-breaking 22nd century — ensured the target was comfortably overhauled, reaffirming his stature as one of South Africa’s finest ODI batsmen.

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