2 min readUpdated: Apr 16, 2026 09:20 PM IST
Quinton de Kock finally got to play a match for the Mumbai Indians in the 2026 Indian Premier (IPL) as a replacement for the injured Rohit Sharma up top and he responded by blasting his way to his third IPL century. De Kock smashed seven fours and seven sixes on his way to the milestone which he raised in 53 balls. A crucial part of past title-winning MI teams, this was De Kock’s first match back with the franchise.
FOLLOW LIVE | Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings, IPL 2026
De Kock’s innings came in a remarkable recovery effort for MI. The five-time champions lost two wickets in the powerplay and could only score 48 runs at the end of the six overs. De Kock and Naman Dhir then put up a 122-run stand for the third wicket in 68 balls, with the latter scoring 53 in 31. Dhir fell to Shashank Singh in the 14th over after which De Kock had captain Hardik Pandya at the other end when he got to his century. The pair put up 41 runs for the fourth wicket in 23 balls and De Kock went on to play right through to the end. The 33-year-old finished unbeaten on 112 off 60 balls as MI put up a total of 195/6 in 20 overs
De Kock has won the IPL twice with MI in 2019 and 2020, forming a formidable opening partnership with Rohit in those seasons and playing a key role behind the stumps. He played for MI in 2021 as well before spending three seasons with Lucknow Super Giants and one with Kolkata Knight Riders last year. De Kock was welcomed back by MI in the auction last year but they preferred fellow South African Ryan Rickelton as Rohit’s opening partner.
Rohit, who was MI’s highest scorer this season before this match, sustained a hamstring injury during their previous match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, which kept him out of the game against PBKS on Thursday and opened the door for De Kock.
