The India-South Africa 1st ODI might be happening in what Ravi Shastri described as ‘Dhoni-land,’ but the fanfare of Virat Kohli across the country is at par with Ranchi’s greatest son, MS Dhoni.
The moment
that Kohli got to his century at the JSCA Stadium on Sunday (November 30), a fan invaded the security and ran across the length of the ground to fall into the batting maestro’s feet. Kohli was in the middle of his celebration — taking out his ring pendant and kissing it — when the fan interfered, before being taken away by the security officials, who had chased him all the way to the 22 yards.
Watch it here:
52nd century for Virat Kohli! 🔥
The King does it again vs South Africa — and a fan even touched his feet to honour the milestone.
Legends don’t just play, they inspire devotion. 👑#ViratKohli #INDVSSAODI #KingKohli pic.twitter.com/OcW1kEWSCY— Meme Point (@MemePoiint) November 30, 2025
This was Kohli’s 52nd ODI century and one of his best, not only because of the context behind it (of him fighting for a place in the 2027 World Cup squad) but also for the sheer quality that the right-hander showed.
He looked rusty in his first few balls, sparking fears that his playing only one format has caused a huge impact that would be hard to undo. But it took him just a couple of overs to understand the pace and bounce of the pitch, and he started taking on the bowlers, even hitting an atypically high number of sixes.
He rushed to his half-century off just 48 balls via another maximum, this time against Corbin Bosch. Wickets fell on the other end, with Rohit Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Washington Sundar falling in quick succession.
The new batters required time on the striker’s end, which kept Kohli on the non-striker’s for most of the next few overs. Once he got to his 90s, he slowed down further, perhaps desperate for that three-figure mark.
Once he got there, though, dabbing one for a boundary to deep third, Kohli exploded, hitting six fours and two sixes before eventually getting out for a well-made 135 (120).
