Top 5 ODI innings of Quinton de Kock

Quinton de Kock is one of the finest wicketkeeper-batsmen of the current generation. His fearless striking and handy glove-work have already earned him comparisons to the greats of the game like Adam Gilchrist and Mark Boucher.

De Kock made his ODI debut at the age of 20, and it took a very short span of time for him to showcase his humongous talent to the cricketing world. In less than a year since his debut, he smashed three consecutive centuries against India - a shared world record then, before it was bettered by Kumar Sangakkara.

Some of the feats which he has accomplished at his age are unfathomable, and it's easy to see why he is already being heralded as a future great.

De Kock has played 101 ODIs and has scored a total of 4249 runs with an impressive average of 44.26. This includes 13 hundreds and 18 fifties.

De Kock has played many great knocks over the years, and here we take a look at the five most prominent ODI innings played by him.

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#5 135 vs India at Johannesburg, 2013

In the very first game of the 3-match ODI series against India at Johannesburg, De Kock set the tone for the series with his flamboyant 135 off 121 balls.

India won the toss and invited South Africa to bat first. De Kock opened the innings along with Hashim Amla, and the two went on to add 152 runs for the first wicket.

De Kock was looking in supreme touch and kept scoring runs even after his opening partner departed. He raced to his second ODI ton in the 34th over.

He went on to score 135 before he fell to the part-timer Virat Kohli. AB de Villiers and JP Duminy further hammered the Indian bowling attack and South Africa managed to put a big total of 358 in 50 overs.

Chasing 359 runs for victory, India got off to a rough start as they were tested by some top class fast bowling from Steyn and Morkel. The visitors were 4 down for just 65 runs which effectively knocked them out of the contest.

MS Dhoni tried to put up a fight but he didn't get enough support from the other end. India were all out for 217 and South Africa won the match by 141 runs. Not surprisingly, De Kock was awarded the 'Player of the match'.

#4 138* vs England at Bloemfontein, 2016

Quinton de Kock in action during his 138* against England.

South Africa didn't have the perfect start to the five-match series as they ended up losing this opening match. However, the match would be remembered for the valiant effort put up by Quinton de Kock while chasing a mammoth target.

Batting first, England piled up a huge total of 399 in 50 overs, thanks to a superb knock of 105 (76 balls, 11 fours, 5 sixes) from Jos Buttler. His inning was well supported by Joe Root, Alex Hales and Ben Stokes who each made half-centuries.

A target of 400 was never going to be easy but De Kock, despite Amla and De Villiers failing, put up a brilliant ton. In a scintillating display of stroke-play, the left-hander hit 12 fours and as many as 6 sixes to score an unbeaten 138 off just 96 balls.

South Africa were 250/5 after 34 overs and with De Kock still at the crease, the match could have gone either way. At that very moment, rain intervened and no further play took place. South Africa were short by 39 runs from the D/L target of 290.

#3 135 vs England at Centurion, 2016

De Kock's innings helped SA keep the series alive

After losing the Test series to England, hosts South Africa were lagging 0-2 in the ODI series too. The third ODI was to be played on Supersport Park, Centurion, and English captain Eoin Morgan won the toss and decided to bat first.

After losing Jason Roy early, Alex Hales and Joe Root added 122 runs for the second wicket. Root made a brilliant hundred (125 off 113 balls), and England racked up 318 in their quota of 50 overs.

Chasing a target of 319 was not an easy task and the hosts needed a solid start. And that's exactly what they got from Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla. Both batsmen batted with ease and added 239 runs for the opening wicket.

De Kock ended up being the star of the day. He smashed the England bowlers all over the park. Such was his striking power and elegance throughout the innings that he overshadowed Amla, even though Amla too played a classy knock of 127.

QDK scored 135 from 117 balls, and the innings comprised 16 fours and 4 sixes. South Africa easily chased down the target with 7 wickets and 20 balls remaining.

#2 168 vs Bangladesh at Kimberley, 2017

168* is De Kock's second-highest score in ODIs

It was the opening game of the 3-match ODI series against Bangladesh being played at Diamond Oval, Kimberly. The visiting side had managed to put up a competitive total of 278 in 50 overs, courtesy a fine innings of 110 from Mushfiqur Rahim.

Chasing a target of 279 can be tricky, and the visitors were hoping for some early wickets that could have made the game balanced. But South African openers Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla had different plans altogether. They made a mockery of the chase and reached the target in the 43rd over itself, that too without losing a wicket.

De Kock remained unbeaten on a splendid 168 off 145 balls. The innings comprised 21 elegant fours and 2 towering sixes. It was a pure masterclass where the Bangladeshi bowlers were never allowed to settle.

Amla also scored an unbeaten century. The unbroken 282-run stand between them is still the third highest partnership for the first wicket in ODIs.

#1 178 vs Australia at Centurion, 2016

Quinton de Kock was absolutely ruthless in this innings

The first game of the 5-match series between Australia and South Africa was played at SuperSport Park, Centurion. South African skipper Faf du Plessis won the toss and invited Australia to bat first.

With the help of George Bailey and John Hastings's half-centuries, Australia put up a decent total of 294 in their 50 overs. Little did they know that this score would prove to be much smaller than required.

With 295 runs to chase, South African openers Quinton de Kock and Rilee Rossouw came out all guns blazing and in no time added 145 runs for the opening wicket. Even after the fall of Rossouw, QDK kept hammering the Aussie bowlers. He simply toyed with them and brought up his century in just 74 balls.

De Kock didn't stop there, and went on to score 178 - his highest individual score in ODIs. His sheer dominance over the Australians bowlers was something to behold.

His knock comprised 16 fours and 11 sixes. It was the innings of his life and wrapped the game almost single-handedly; South Africa won the match by 6 wickets with 82 balls to spare.