South Africa opener Quinton de Kock lit up Mullanpur with a spectacular knock of 90 off just 46 balls, smashing 5 fours and 7 sixes, as India were put under immense pressure in the 2nd T20I on Thursday. De Kock, who looked set for a memorable hundred, fell agonisingly short after a rare mistake at the non-striker’s end resulted in an unusual dismissal.

The left-hander dominated the Indian bowlers throughout his innings, reaching his 17th T20I fifty in no time and forming the backbone of South Africa’s innings. During the carnage, Arshdeep Singh endured a forgettable over, bowling multiple wides as frustration visibly grew within the Indian camp.

However, just when the stadium anticipated a well-deserved century, de Kock was ruled run out, leaving fans stunned. The incident unfolded when Varun Chakaravarthy bowled a flatter delivery outside off. De Kock got an under-edge towards the keeper and instinctively stepped out of his crease after thinking the ball might deflect away.

But a sharp piece of work from Jitesh Sharma caught him short. As per ICC rules, because de Kock made a movement suggesting an intent to take a run — his bat lifted and he moved forward — the dismissal falls under Run Out (Law 38) instead of Stumped (Law 39). Additionally, the ball had already deflected off the bat and travelled back to the keeper after bouncing, making it a live ball for a run-out scenario.

With this knock, de Kock now enters the list of highest individual scores for South Africa vs India in T20Is:

  • 106* – David Miller, Guwahati, 2022

  • 100* – Rilee Rossouw, Indore, 2022

  • 90 – Quinton de Kock, Mullanpur, 2025*

  • 81 – Heinrich Klaasen, Cuttack, 2022

Despite missing out on the milestone, de Kock received a standing ovation from the Mullanpur crowd — a reflection of the sheer dominance and entertainment he brought to this innings.