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With an unbeaten 97-run blitzkrieg against Rajasthan Royals, Quinton de Kock etched his name in the history books by posting the highest individual score for Kolkata Knight Riders in run-chases in the Indian Premier League.
Quinton made Rajasthan's home turf in Assam his favourite playground with his searing strokeplay. He toyed with the Royals' bowling unit, handpicked his favourite shots and executed them according to his will. He began the 152-run pursuit of the defending champions and struck the winning runs in style to open KKR's win account in the ongoing 18th edition of the cash-rich league. Quinton's 97* from 61 deliveries is the highest individual score for the three-time champions in a run-chase. With his scorching form, he toppled Manish Pandey's 11-year-old record. Manish had a firm grasp of the elusive feat for 11 years after he slammed 94 against Punjab Kings in the IPL 2014 final in Bengaluru. Chris Lynn's sizzling 93* against Gujarat Lions in Rajkot in 2017, slipped to the third spot. Lynn's heroics were followed by Manvinder Bisla's 92 against Chennai Super Kings in 2013 and Gautam Gambhir's 90* against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016. Quinton singlehandedly tore apart Rajasthan's threadbare bowling attack with his chivalrous display with the bat. The experienced southpaw made the beleaguered hosts tilt at the windmills with his relentless onslaught at Barsapara Cricket Stadium. After KKR restricted the Royals to a sub-par 151/9, Quinton set the tempo of the chase by dictating the terms of play. Even though the visitors lost Moeen Ali early in the chase, the South African went about his business to keep the pressure off his side's shoulders. He found some support from skipper Ajinkya Rahane and, later, from impact substitute Angkrish Raghuvanshi. The game's fate was clear after Quinton steered KKR through the middle phase, majorly unscathed. In the 18th over, he looked in a rush to wrap up the match by launching a scathing assault on Jofra Archer. The English tearaway looked out of his wits when Quinton sent the first ball racing towards the boundary rope for a four. He followed it up by smoking the ball into the stands. After two wides on the trot, Quinton tonked it long-on with a flashy shot to finish the game with his swag. (ANI)
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