Virat Kohli played a gargantuan innings for India against South Africa, scoring a scintillating century in Ranchi. The India stalwart found the correct notes early in his innings, and managed to create a fantastic tune with his bat.
Scoring his 52nd ODI hundred, which that also on home soil after 746 days is an emotional moment. The India star has been under the pump across sectors. There has been unnecessary scrutiny, doubts over his India future and a sudden Test cricket departure.
But Kohli has managed to shine in the format he loves the most, the 50 overs. As Kohli continues to find the fence with ease, there has been a vintage Kohli-esque hitting in this stellar knock. His fantastic knock of 135 runs off just 120 balls included 11 fours and
7 massive sixes.
But there is a stark contrast to a Virat Kohli knock, which makes it look more special, and perhaps, the new avatar which he has adopted!
The key ingredient of Virat's knock has been his boundaries and an ultra-aggressive approach. A typical Virat knock generally is all about finding gaps early on, hitting odd boundaries and building it like a slow burner. But today, the scenario was different. Kohli came in like a hungry man who devoured everything on his plate from the very start. From the very first ball, his mindset was to hit the acceleration pedal, and he never let the handbrakes on.
With Rohit Sharma at the crease, Kohli was the aggressor, playing a complete role reversal today. The duo added 136 runs and Virat was way in front of his fellow colleague in terms of sharing the runs. The amount of lofted shots Virat played in the innings is quite sublime, which has been non-existent for him, especially in an ODI knock.
Virat Kohli and the Percentage of Boundaries
The stark difference, when it comes to numbers, is the percentage of runs he scored in boundaries. Virat scored a mammoth 63.70 percentage of his runs in boundaries. If we consider his last three ODI centuries, the boundary percentages are 28, 41 and 40, respectively, which were against Pakistan in Champions Trophy 2025, and against New Zealand and South Africa in the World Cup 2023.
In these centuries, Virat hit a combined two sixes, but in Ranchi, he cleared the fence 7 times. In fact, Kohli was just one short of equaling his most sixes in an ODI innings. He was on five sixes when he reached to 60 runs, which happened only once in his career, way back in 2013 in a match against Australia in Jaipur, where Kohli scored an unbeaten 100 off just 52 balls, hitting 8 fours and 7 sixes.
Is it the new Virat Kohli?
There were reports that BCCI has advised Rohit Sharma to play in his aggressive style, which has become a blueprint of Indian cricket in recent times. But in Ranchi, although Rohit played his role, Virat Kohli seems to have rejuvenated himself in a new Avatar.
The India stalwart has won everything he has touched the pinnacle, he has rewritten history. And he continues to inspire a billion and more. But is it the new Virat Kohli? Will it be his approach in the final years as an Indian cricketer? If that is, no one is complaining.
