Virat Kohli produced a masterclass in Ranchi on Sunday, crafting his 52nd ODI century to reclaim the spotlight and surpass Sachin Tendulkar for the most hundreds in a single international format. His authoritative 135 anchored India’s imposing 349 for eight in the series opener against South Africa, reaffirming his enduring command over the one-day game.
Kohli’s innings, laced with 11 fours and seven sixes, came off 120 deliveries at a fluent strike rate of 112.50. More significantly, it pushed him past Tendulkar’s record of 51 Test centuries, making him the first cricketer to cross 52 hundreds in any format. It was also his 83rd international century.
Having walked in early after Yashasvi Jaiswal’s departure, Kohli found an ideal ally in Rohit Sharma. The pair added 136 for the second wicket, a stand that briefly transported the JSCA Stadium crowd back to their peak years as a duo. Rohit, dropped early, made 57 off 51 balls before Marco Jansen ended his stay.
The landmark knock also allowed Kohli to overhaul Tendulkar and David Warner to become the batter with the most ODI hundreds against South Africa, his sixth, and to set a new record for fifty-plus scores in ODIs at home, surpassing Tendulkar’s 58.
Ranchi has long been a happy hunting ground for Kohli, and this innings extended his remarkable numbers at the venue: 519 runs in six innings at an average of 173, including three centuries and a fifty. His strike rate here, 110.19, reflects his ease on these surfaces.
Also read: Kohli’s 52nd ODI century powers India to 349 vs SA
India lost momentum in the middle overs as Ruturaj Gaikwad (8) and Washington Sundar (13) departed cheaply. But KL Rahul steadied the innings with a well-paced 60 from 56 balls, adding 76 with Kohli and later 65 with Ravindra Jadeja, who chipped in with a brisk 32 off 20 balls.
Kohli continues to remain India’s most reliable ODI presence, despite the format’s reduced relevance in the current international cycle. For the year, he now has 484 runs in 11 innings at 53.77, including two centuries and three half-centuries.
His overall ODI tally stands at 14,390 runs from 306 matches, averaging 58.02, with 52 centuries and 75 fifties — numbers that reinforce his longevity and unmatched consistency.
As India finished on 349 for eight, the stage was set for a high-pressure chase for South Africa, who had opted to bowl first. For the Ranchi faithful, however, the day belonged unmistakably to Kohli, who delivered yet another golden chapter in his storied career.
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