In a night that felt like a scripted homecoming, Quinton de Kock reminded the cricketing world why he remains one of the deadliest openers in T20 history. Take a step back Mumbai Indians (MI) The veteran South African batted in colorful form at a packed Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, delivering a breathtaking unbeaten 112 to put his side in a dominant position against their opposition. Kings of the Punjab. Changing the wounded Rohit SharmaDe Kock didn’t just fill a void; he owned the stage, proving that this class was indeed permanent.
Quinton de Kock scored a huge century on his comeback for Mumbai Indians
From the first ball of the innings, De Kock looked like the man with the task. While there were some early fluctuations in the MI top order, De Kock anchored the innings with a mix of classic drives and signature shots over fine leg. He reached three figures in just 53 deliveries and sent the home crowd into a frenzy. His 60-ball final of 112* was studded with 8 boundaries and 7 powerful sixes, showcasing a strike rate that kept the PBKS bowlers under constant pressure.
A historic triple crown achievement for the Proteas star
With this tattoo, de Kock etched his name into the IPL record books by becoming the first foreign player to score a century for three different franchises.
- Delhi Capitals (2016): A girlish tone announcing her arrival.
- Lucknow Super Giants (2022): An unforgettable 140* which remains one of the highest scores in the league.
- Mumbai Indians (2026): This latest masterclass marks the first hundred for the Blue and Gold.
He joins an elite club of attendees only KL Rahul and Sanju Samson As players who scored centuries for three different teams.
Apart from the runs, this innings was statistically significant for De Kock’s legacy behind the stumps. This marked his 25th 50-plus score while playing as a designated wicketkeeper-batsman. With that, he officially passed into the legendary past MS Dhoni (24 out of 50+) is second only to Rahul in the all-time wicket-taking list.
The 112-run blitz was not just a personal milestone; it was a tactical master stroke for MI. Partnership with young Plant Man De Kock for a century-plus stand saw MI reach a mammoth total of 195/6.
Here’s how the fans reacted:
Quinton de Kock was brilliant with his plan today. He ran well and played accurately in the offensive.
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) April 16, 2026
HUNDRED BY QUINTON DE KOCK. 😍🔥
– What a great knock by De Kock against Punjab Kings. Came to the MI side and made an immediate impact. 🫡 pic.twitter.com/pGZumfJwQx
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) April 16, 2026
WELCOME TO MUMBAI INDIANS QUINTON DE KOCK 🥹🔥 pic.twitter.com/f89dYFKAwN
— TEJASH 🚩 (@LoyleRohitFan) April 16, 2026
What a hundred by Quinton de Kock 🔥
drop Ryan Rickelton from the next match and let him open with Rohit Sharma.🙌 pic.twitter.com/eMNhYn4H1F— 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵ (@rushiii_12) April 16, 2026
And he does 💪👏 Quinton De Kock completes his century with a boundary in 💯 style 😎🫰 Completes it in just 53 balls 🤯 Sensational knock for sure 🥵🤌 #IPL #MIvsPBKS pic.twitter.com/TRYQ2fZpYs https://t.co/Trb2k6SM52
— Aware Indian (@Aware_Indian7) April 16, 2026
Sensational century by Quinton de Kock 🙌👏#MIvsPBKS #QuintondeKock #IPL2026 #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/0Uwpb8BwBm
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) April 16, 2026
QUINTON DE COCK IS ON! 🔥🔥🔥💯
A hundred in style. There is no mercy. No brakes. 💀
THIS IS VINTAGE COCK 💀🔥#MIvsPBKS
— Aarnav Sharma✨️ (@sunilaarnav) April 16, 2026
Centurion number 2 of the season Quinton de Kock in monster mode 🔥🔥#MIvsPBKSpic.twitter.com/8N3BfZC2pN
— Akul (𝑨𝑻10) (@Loyalsachfan10) April 16, 2026
Quinton de Kock acquisition arc👊🔥 pic.twitter.com/VGW6qHymEi
– 𝒃𝑨𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒛𝒂𝒚𝒏²✨ (@abdulaf_tweets) April 16, 2026
How he was beaten by Quinton De Kock 🔥 Completes his half-century off just 28 balls 👏 Currently 73*(40). He will be the 2nd to complete his century 💯 this #IPL Season after Sanju Samson question ⁉️ Let’s wait and see 🤩🏏 #MIvsPBKS pic.twitter.com/o3SGgPUG5v
— Aware Indian (@Aware_Indian7) April 16, 2026
QUINTON DE KOCK – 112*(60). 🙇♂️
Mumbai Indians 12/2 at one point and then he played a brilliant knock against Punjab Kings at the Wankhede with 8 fours and 7 sixes.
– Bow down, De Kock!#MIvsPBKS pic.twitter.com/QycnqMFwQl
— Nafees (@Nafees_22) April 16, 2026
QUINTON DE KOCK – 112*(60). 🙇♂️
Mumbai Indians 12/2 at one point and then he played a brilliant knock against Punjab Kings at the Wankhede with 8 fours and 7 sixes.
– Bow down, De Kock! pic.twitter.com/bzrDTl0dUB
— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) April 16, 2026
🔥 DE KOCKUN MASTER CLASS goes up to 195 from MI! 🔥
Quinton de Kock dominates the innings with an amazing 112 (60)* 💥!
Naman Dhir gets a solid 50 (31) 🤝 to build an important partnership!
Arshdeep Singh took 3 wickets 🎯 but MI were strong at 195/6 🚀 pic.twitter.com/dzM7u0z5uW— Puneet Awasthi (@PuneetA77622712) April 16, 2026
What a player, what a knock and what a way to start the season! 💯
Bow down to Quinton de Kock, a truly special Wankhede hundred! 👏
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/gUtBi9inLc#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #MIvPBKS | @mipaltan pic.twitter.com/tPSNAkTOFg
— officialKL_Rahul_ (@KumarRahul58896) April 16, 2026
Mumbai Indians are writing 195 on the board.
– Quinton de Kock is the backbone of the innings. Sensational strike under pressure..!!!👏
– However, he still feels that there are 10-20 runs less on this field👀
— Mohd Faizy (@ansarifaizy08) April 16, 2026
QUINTON DE KOCK – 112*(60). 🙇♂️
Mumbai Indians 12/2 at one point and then he played a brilliant knock against Punjab Kings at the Wankhede with 8 fours and 7 sixes.
– Bow down, De Kock! 🙇♂️#pbksvsmi pic.twitter.com/QXvL7SGZ85
— Ayush Singh (@AyushSingh4173) April 16, 2026
Also READ: IPL 2026: Why Rohit Sharma and Mitchell Santner are not playing in today’s MI vs PBKS match
