Lucknow Super Giants’ Quinton de Kock smashed a hat-trick of sixes off Tim Southee in the 19th over during his epic knock of 140* off 70 deliveries during the IPL 2022 clash against Kolkata Knight Riders.

The left-hander was at his fiery best on Wednesday, scoring his second IPL hundred that allowed LSG to score a mammoth 210-0, with his opening partner KL Rahul making 68* in 51. De Kock started off aggressively, reaching his fifty in 36 deliveries, and took only 23 more deliveries to score his first IPL ton since 2016.

The South African hit as many as ten sixes in his knock, including three successive hits off Southee in the 19th over. Rahul struck the first ball of the over for a six before giving de Kock the strike for the last four balls, who made his intentions clear by slapping a back of a length delivery over long-on for a maximum. Southee slowed down his pace for the next ball, but de Kock smashed it over the same area yet again. The Kiwi quick bowled a delivery right in the slot the next time, and de Kock effortlessly smoked it over long-on for another maximum.

Southee ended the over by bowling a wide and conceded a single as the over went for 27 runs. From 102 at the start of the 19th over, de Kock raced away to 121, and scored another 19 runs in the 20th over, including hitting Andre Russell for four consecutive fours to end with the third-highest score by any batter in the history of the IPL, after Chris Gayle (175*) and Brendon McCullum (158*).

The opening stand of 210 was the highest ever in the tournament’s history and is also the first time an opening duo has batted for the full quota of 120 balls. De Kock’s 140* was not only the highest score by a South African in the IPL but also the highest score by a wicketkeeper (Brendon McCullum was the designated ‘keeper during his 158*, but Wriddhiman Saha kept instead). This is also the third-highest partnership in the IPL for any wicket.

Watch de Kock hit three sixes in an epic knock here:

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