Virat Kohli has done it again. The former India captain brought up yet another masterful century in Raipur, registering his 53rd ODI hundred and the 84th international ton of his career. This also marks back-to-back centuries for Kohli in the ongoing series against South Africa.
Marco Jansen delivered a fuller ball, and Kohli calmly pushed it down to long-on for a single — the run that took him to three figures. He celebrated in trademark style, jumping and punching the air as chants of “Kohli! Kohli!” echoed across the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium.
Kohli had signalled his intent right from the start, getting off the mark with a stunning pull shot that sailed over backward square leg for six. From there on, he batted with complete control, timing the ball beautifully and rotating strike effortlessly alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad during their record-breaking partnership.
This hundred follows his magnificent 135 in the first ODI in Ranchi, where he was named Player of the Match for guiding India to a comfortable victory. That innings was his 52nd ODI century, putting him ahead of Sachin Tendulkar’s long-standing record of 51 Test hundreds — the most in any single international format.
Kohli’s form continues to shine bright, and with another flawless display in Raipur, he has underlined once again why he remains one of the greatest ODI batters of all time.
