Virat Kohli has given a major update about a possible return to Test cricket. Kohli delivered a match-winning 135 off 120 balls, including 11 fours and seven sixes, to propel India to 349 for 8 and a thrilling 17-run victory against South Africa in the 1st ODI at Ranchi.
His knock, part of a 136-run stand with Rohit Sharma (57 off 51), marked his 52nd ODI century, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record for most hundreds in a single format.
Kohli arrived early in Ranchi despite his vast experience across over 300 ODIs, focusing on batting sessions to master the conditions. After earning his 44th ODI Player-of-the-Match award, he emphasized his commitment at the post-match interview.
"I've said it before if I'm arriving somewhere I'll arrive at 120%.
" He added, "[I came early] because I wanted to get hold of the conditions a little bit, bat a couple of sessions a day and one in the evening, so my prep work was done.. I took a day off before the game because I'm 37 I also need to look after the recovery," Kohli said.
The JSCA pitch offered a strong first-powerplay platform, with India racing to 80 for 1 in 10 overs after Kohli's aggressive start against Nandre Burger. It slowed later, but Kohli adapted seamlessly, visualizing intensity.
"I visualise the game a lot in my mind and as long as when I think about the game, if I see myself being as intense, as sharp, taking the fielders and bowlers on, then I know I'm in a good space. " He reached his ton with a boundary off Marco Jansen amid fan excitement.
South Africa fought back with Matthew Breetzke's 72 and Corbin Bosch's 67, but Kuldeep Yadav (4 wickets) and Harshit Rana (3) restricted them to 332 in 49.2 overs. Prasidh Krishna's final-over strike ended the chase, giving India a 1-0 series lead ahead of the Raipur clash.
Amid India's growing concern in Test cricket, there have been calls for a u-turn from the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. When asked if he is thinking about any of such decisions, the India stalwart gave a blunt reply.
"That's how it's always going to be - I'm just playing one format of the game now," Kohli remarked, signalling he has no such plans.
