Virat Kohli's Historic Feat Against South Africa, Breaks Tendulkar, David Warner's Record Of...

The Ranchi crowd was on its feet when Virat Kohli roared loudly to celebrate his 52nd ODI hundred at the JSCA stadium on Sunday. Back in action for India on home soil for the first time since February,

the former India skipper got a 135 off 120 deliveries as India posted 349/8 in 50 overs.

It was a vintage Kohli on display who batted fearlessly against the Proteas attack. He danced down the line frequently to clear the fence, and once he notched the triple figures, he didn’t waste time in shifting gears. He scored his first fifty runs at a strike-rate of 110, which dropped to 93 till reaching his century. But once he bagged his 52^nd ton, he functioned at a strike rate of 178.

Although he fell prey to Nandre Burger after smashing 7 sixes and 11 boundaries, he had already set some phenomenal records in ODI cricket. Kohli now has the most ODI hundreds vs South Africa (6), surpassing five each by Sachin Tendulkar and David Warner.

Batter	Country	Matches	No. of Centuries
Virat Kohli	India	32	6
David Warner	Australia	30	5
Sachin Tendulkar	India	57	5
Kane Williamson	New Zealand	19	4
Kevin Pietersen	England	14	3

Interestingly, Kohli has 3 centuries each at three different venues. The ton against South Africa in Ranchi was his third at the JSCA stadium. He had hit three each in Vizag (in 7 innings) and MCA Stadium, Pune (8 innings).

Kohli’s commanding knock came off 120 balls, featuring seven sixes and 11 fours. His 136-run partnership with Rohit Sharma (57 off 51) for the second wicket set up India’s substantial total on a largely flat JSCA Stadium track.

With Kohli no longer part of T20Is and only six ODIs scheduled for India in the next eight months, each appearance in this format now holds significant importance.

The 36-year-old responded with his trademark authority, reminding the selectors and team management that he remains India’s most reliable batter in this format.

Rohit also had an excellent opportunity to assert himself after being dropped at 1, but he managed only 57 before being trapped by Jansen.

Nevertheless, their 136-run partnership—part of the highly anticipated RoKo show—will boost the confidence of both stalwarts and reassure the team management that they still belong on the big stage and can contribute further to India.

Although the pitch was flat, the Proteas bowlers were also culpable for failing to maintain a probing line and length. Kohli walked in early after Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 18 ended with a faint edge off Nandre Burger, and the Ranchi crowd immediately anticipated a reunion worth waiting for.

(With PTI Inputs)