Quinton de Kock-KL Rahul break all-time IPL record with 210-run opening partnership

SportsTak

Quinton de Kock played a one of a kind innings in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 to demoralise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bowling attack in their must-win game. De Kock and KL Rahul’s 210-run partnership is now the highest opening partnership in the history of league breaking Jonny Bairstow and David Warner's record of 185 which was set in 2019 edition.


It is also the third-highest partnership for any wicket in IPL. Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers hold the record for highest partnership (229) in IPL. It is the second-highest unbeaten partnership. The record for highest unbeaten partnership also belongs to Kohli and AB de Villiers (215*)


In T20 cricket overall (T20Is, domestic cricket, franchise cricket), this is the fifth-highest opening partnership.


De Kock batted with a strike rate of 200 in his unbeaten 140-run knock. The southpaw's maiden IPL century included 10 fours and 10 sixes. The 140-run knock is the third-highest individual score in IPL after Chris Gayle's 175* and Brendon McCullum's 158.


On the other end, Rahul scored 68 runs from 51 deliveries including three fours and four sixes. Rahul achieved a personal milestone as well. He became the first batter in the league’s history to score 500-plus runs in five consecutive seasons.


In the last five overs, LSG scored 88 runs at a run rate of 17.60. The Proteas wicketkeeper-batter did the bulk of scoring during this period. He went ballistic in the penultimate over against Tim Southee, hitting him for four sixes which including three in a row.