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Virat Kohli's India teammates were left in awe as the former India captain rolled back the years with his vintage ton in the first ODI against South Africa at the JSCA Stadium in Ranchi on Sunday, November 30. Kohli slammed a magnificent knock of 135 runs to notch up his 52nd ODI hundred as India defeated South Africa by 17 runs to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.
Kohli was at his vintage best during his terrific knock as wowed the fans and his teammates with some sensational strokes across all parts of the ground. The star batter's 135 off 120 balls was laced with 11 fours and seven sixes as he took the Proteas bowlers to the cleaners in Ranchi.
Speaking about Kohli's stellar knock in a video shared by the BCCI, his teammates Kuldeep Yadav and Tilak Varma showered praise on the former India captain. Kuldeep said he felt like he witnessed Kohli bat as he used to around eight to nine years back, when he was at the peak of his powers.
"My career started with Virat Bhai when he was the captain. The way that he batted, I felt I had gone back 8-9 years. The way he was batting in 2017, 2018 and 2019," said Kuldeep in the video.
"It was a very good innings and he looked very confident. Whatever his shot selection was, the ball was coming nicely off the bat," he added.
Tilak, who was on the bench for the first ODI against South Africa in Ranchi, said Kohli's 135 is one of the best knocks he has witnessed. He expressed his happiness to have gotten a chance to watch Kohli's innings live as he lauded the senior batter for his dedication towards the game.
"We have seen one of the best knocks again. I am very happy that I have seen a hundred of Virat bhai live. Since the last 17 years, he has been electrifying on the field. The batting, fielding, everything. He is absolutely at the top, and I have learnt a lot from him and it's a pleasure to watch him live. I will keep talking to him and learn as much as I can," said Tilak.
It was a terrific knock from Kohli, who once again showcased why he remains a vital cog in India's batting line-up in the ODIs despite his growing age. There have been questions about Kohli's future with the Indian team in the build-up to the 2027 ODI World Cup, however, the 37-year-old continues to silence his doubters with his consistent performmances.
Kohli shattered a couple of records with his magnificent 135-run knock in the first ODI against South Africa in Ranchi on Sunday. He broke the legendary Sachin Tendulkar's record for most centuries in a single format in international cricket. While Tendulkar scored 51 centuries in Tests, Kohli now has 52 tons to his name in ODIs.
Kohli had earlier broken Tendulkar's (49) record for most centuries in ODIs with his 50th ton during the 2023 ODI World Cup. Kohli also surpassed Tendulkar and David Warner on the elite list of batters with the most centuries against South Africa in ODIs. Kohli notched up his sixth hundred against the Proteas on Sunday to go past Tendulakr and Warner, who had 5 tons each.
