IND vs SA 3rd ODI: Quinton De Kock’s Century Puts Him Among Elite After Stunning Knock vs India

IND vs SA 3rd ODI: Quinton de Kock produced yet another masterclass on Indian soil as he hammered a scintillating century in the decisive third ODI between India and South Africa in Visakhapatnam.

The left-handed opener reached the three-figure mark in just 80 balls, continuing a remarkable run of dominance against India in the 50-over format.

Saturday's ton marks de Kock's seventh ODI century against India - a feat no batter has surpassed. With this milestone, he now stands alongside legendary Sri Lankan opener Sanath Jayasuriya, who also tallied seven ODI centuries against India in his illustrious 21-year international career spanning 89 matches.

De Kock's record becomes even more impressive when measured by efficiency. While Jayasuriya needed

89 innings to register his seven tons, de Kock achieved the same number in only 23 ODIs. The pair now sits at the top of the list for most ODI hundreds scored against India, ahead of a notable group featuring AB de Villiers, Ricky Ponting and Kumar Sangakkara-each with six.

The South African wicketkeeper's milestone didn't stop there. His hundred in Visakhapatnam also drew him level with Kumar Sangakkara's tally for the most ODI centuries scored by a designated wicketkeeper-batter-23 in total. Sangakkara accumulated this record over 360 matches, while the Vizag fixture marked de Kock's 160th appearance in the role.

Adding to the historic moment, de Kock has now scored centuries in both ODIs and T20Is as a wicketkeeper-batter, putting him among an elite class of white-ball performers. Across formats, he now shares second place on the list of most international centuries by a designated wicketkeeper-batter. Only former Australian great Adam Gilchrist - with 33 hundreds in 391 matches - stands ahead.

De Kock's knock in the series decider not only etched his name deeper into cricket's statistical archives but also provided South Africa early momentum in a high-pressure contest. His form continues to be a defining asset for the Proteas as this rivalry adds another chapter filled with brilliance and records.