South African opener Quinton de Kock produced a sensational match-winning century as South Africa crushed Pakistan by 8 wickets in the second ODI at Faisalabad. Returning from retirement, de Kock batted like a champion, guiding his team to a comfortable victory and helping the visitors level the three-match series 1-1.Pakistan posted 269/9 in 50 overs, but South Africa chased the target in just 40.1 overs, losing only two wickets — thanks to de Kock’s unbeaten 123-run masterclass.
Pakistan got off to the worst possible start.
All three were removed by Nandre Burger, whose fiery spell dismantled Pakistan’s top order within the first few overs — leaving them at 22/3.
Under pressure, Saim Ayub (53) and Salman Ali Agha (69) steadied the innings with a crucial partnership. They revived Pakistan past the 100-run mark, but both fell while trying to accelerate.
At the backend, Mohammad Nawaz played a valuable knock of 59 off 59 balls, giving Pakistan a respectable total.
But on a batting-friendly pitch, 269 was never enough.
Chasing 270, South Africa began aggressively. De Kock and Luan-dre Pretorius added 81 runs for the opening wicket in rapid time. Pretorius scored a quick 46 off 40 balls, giving SA the perfect base.
After Pretorius’ dismissal, Tony de Zorzi (76 off 63 balls) joined de Kock to build a massive 153-run stand — South Africa’s second-highest partnership in Pakistan.
| Partnership | Runs | Players | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 159 | Pollock – Smith | Multan | 2007 | |
| 153 | de Kock – de Zorzi | Faisalabad | 2025 |
De Kock brought up his 22nd ODI century in just 99 balls, and in the process:
| Rank | Player | Centuries |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hashim Amla | 27 |
| 2 | AB de Villiers | 25 |
| 3 | **Quinton de Kock | 22** |
| 4 | Herschelle Gibbs | 21 |
| Player | Centuries |
|---|---|
| Kumar Sangakkara | 23 |
| **Quinton de Kock | 22** |
| Shai Hope | 18 |
| Adam Gilchrist | 16 |
| Jos Buttler | 11 |
De Kock’s 123 off 119 balls* (8 fours, 7 sixes) now ranks among the highest individual ODI scores by a South African against Pakistan.
| Runs | Player | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 128 | AB de Villiers | Johannesburg | 2013 |
| 124 | Daryll Cullinan | Nairobi | 1996 |
| 123* | Rassie van der Dussen | Centurion | 2021 |
| 123* | **Quinton de Kock | Faisalabad | 2025** |
South Africa’s dominant win means the series stands 1-1, setting up a mouth-watering decider on 8 November. With de Kock in red-hot form and SA’s bowling unit firing, Pakistan will need a much-improved performance in the final ODI.Quinton de Kock produced one of his finest ODI innings, marking a memorable comeback from retirement. His century not only sealed a thumping win but also pushed him past several major career milestones. South Africa showed complete control with both bat and ball, while Pakistan will rue their early collapse and lack of penetration with the ball.
