Kohli hits 52nd ODI ton in match vs South Africa, breaks Tendulkar’s record

Virat Kohli’s genius in the 50-over format was on full view during his 52nd hundred that guided India to a strong 349 for eight against South Africa in the first ODI of the three-match series in Ranchi on Sunday (November 30).

In the process, Kohli also went past the legendary Sachin Tendulkar as the batter with most hundreds in one format of the game. Tendulkar has 51 Test hundreds, and Kohli now has 52 ODI tons.

Reasserts his relevance

At a stage of his career where every ODI innings carries scrutiny, Kohli reasserted his relevance and authority in the only international format he plays with a fluent 135-run knock that formed the spine of India’s innings.

The 37-year-old displayed his trademark authority, reminding the selectors and team management that he remains India’s most bankable batter in the format.

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Kohli went past the three-figure mark with a boundary of SA left-arm pacer Marco Jansen, raising bedlam in the stadium, even forcing a spectator to invade the ground to touch the master's feat.

Rohit’s moment

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

Rohit too had his own moment when he smashed a world record 352nd six in ODI cricket to go past former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi's mark of 351.

He too had a great platform to assert himself after being dropped at 1 but he could make only 57 before being trapped by Jansen.

Still, their 136-run partnership – during a much-anticipated RoKo show – would give confidence not to the two stalwarts but also the team management that they still belong to big stage and can serve India a bit more.

The RoKo show

It was a flat deck but the Proteas bowlers were also guilty of not bowling a probing line and length.

Kohli walked in early after Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 18 ended via a faint edge off Nandre Burger, and the Ranchi crowd immediately antcipated a reunion worth waiting for.

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Rohit survived a sitter on one, spilled by Tony de Zorzi at mid-wicket, and used the reprieve to settle before opening up with a string of boundaries against Jansen and Corbin Bosch.

He hit Marco Jansen for two boundaries in a space of five balls and Bosch was also taken to task: his incoming deliveries were flicked with ease and the short ones were pulled with authority.

Vintage Kohli

Kohli, meanwhile, was in vintage touch – a six over mid-off off Burger showing the full bat face signalled his intent as well as touch. It was followed by a silken cover drive.

With South Africa’s pacers erring in both line and length, the pair motored along, forcing stand-in captain Aiden Markram to introduce off-spinner Pranelan Subrayen, but the runs kept flowing.

Kohli raised his half-century with a six off Bosch, while Rohit reached his fifty with a single as India crossed the 100-run mark in quick time.

Jansen finally struck back by trapping Rohit leg before. The dismissal briefly stalled India's scoring as Kohli went through a phase of limited strike.

Fan moment

Ruturaj Gaikwad (8) and Washington Sundar, promoted to No. 5, fell in quick succession to Ottneil Baartman, arresting the early charge.

But Kohli held firm.

Rotating strike smartly and putting away the loose balls, he ensured India did not drift. Soon after he completed his hundred, a manic fan breached security, knelt before his “King”, touched his feet before being whisked by security officers.

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What was remarkable was Kohli’s ability to change the gears even when the ball had gone soft. Now only one ball of the two can be used after 34 overs, making the stroke-making challenging.

Same hunger as ever

Skipper KL Rahul gave a late thrust to the innings with a 56-ball 60.

But even when Rahul was struggling to go hard at spinner Subrayen, Kohli creamed him off for 21 runs with consummate ease with two sixes and a four.

The 2027 World Cup is still some time away but Kohli reminded one and all that his touch is intact and hunger insatiable as ever.

With Kohli no longer part of T20Is, and only six ODIs scheduled for India in the next eight months or so, every outing in the format now comes with significance.

(With agency inputs)