- Thursday, September 12, 2024
The Proteas wicket-keeper-batter belted two centuries against Sri Lanka and South Africa in the first two matches of the edition.
By: Shubham Ghosh
SOUTH AFRICA wicket-keeper-batter Quinton de Kock, who will quit one-day internationals (ODI) after World Cup 2023, continued with his superb form on Wednesday (1) by blasting his fourth century of the tournament. The southpaw achieved his feat against New Zealand by hitting pacer James Neesham over long leg for a six to reach the three-figure mark.
The 30-year-old, who is playing in his third World Cup, started the tournament with a 100 against Sri Lanka in Delhi and followed it up with a 109 in the very next match against Australia in Lucknow. Last week, he made a majestic 174 against Bangladesh in Mumbai before scoring the ton (114) against the Kiwis.
All his four hundreds so far have come batting first and the first three saw South Africa ending on a winning note. He was at the ninth position in terms of hundreds scored (in 24 matches) in the 50-over World Cup. Overall, it was de Kock’s 21st hundred in the 50-over format.
The record of scoring most hundreds in a single World Cup belongs to India captain Rohit Sharma who belted five in the 2019 edition held in England and Wales. Sharma also tops the table of batters with the maximum number of World Cup hundreds — seven — in 23 matches since the 2015 edition. He eclipsed compatriot Sachin Tendulkar’s record of six in this edition when he scored 131 against Afghanistan in Delhi in this edition.
Former Sri Lanka captain and wicket-keeper-batter Kumar Sangakkara also hit four centuries in the 2015 edition held in Australia and New Zealand and it was also his final ODI tournament.
David Warner of Australia, who has made two centuries in this edition, is at No.2 at the moment with six tons in 24 games, putting Tendulkar, who has taken 45 matches for his six, behind.
Here are the top five batters with most hundreds in ICC World Cup:
Rohit Sharma (India) 7 centuries from 23 matches in three World Cups between 2015 and 2023
David Warner (Australia) 6 centuries from 24 matches in three World Cups between 2015 and 2023
Sachin Tendulkar (India) 6 centuries from 45 matches in six World Cups between 1992 and 2011
Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) 5 centuries from 37 matches in four World Cups between 2003 and 2015
Ricky Ponting (Australia) 5 centuries from 46 matches in five World Cups between 1996 and 2011
