Published: Dec 03, 2025, 04:30 PM (IST)
Edited: Dec 03, 2025, 05:19 PM (IST)
Virat Kohli’s bat is doing the talking – and how powerfully. The Indian team’s star batsman scored a century in the second ODI against South Africa. Kohli brought up his 53rd ODI hundred at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium in Raipur, reaching the milestone in 90 balls. This was also the Kohli’s 84th international century of his career.
Kohli is returning to international cricket after nearly four months. He last played a three-match ODI series in Australia, where he failed to open his account in the first two games but scored 74 runs in the third ODI. He has carried that form into this series.
In the first ODI against South Africa in Ranchi, Kohli smashed 135 runs off 120 balls, including 7 sixes. With this innings in Raipur, Kohli has now hit 9 sixes in the series-the most he has ever struck in any ODI series or tournament. Previously, he had hit nine sixes in the 2023 series against Sri Lanka and again during the 2023 World Cup.
Kohli reached his half-century in 47 balls and continued to build steadily toward his hundred. His century included 12 fours and two sixes.
Star Indian batter Virat Kohli on Wednesday moved up to No. 4 in the latest ICC rankings with a match-winning hundred against South Africa in the first ODI at Ranchi boosting his ascend.
Kohli made his 52nd hundred in the 50-over format, a 120-ball 135 that propelled India to a 17-run win over the Proteas on Sunday.
The 37-year-old now has 751 ranking points, and trails former India skipper Rohit Sharma (783), who retained his top spot, New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell (766) and Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran (764).
( With PTI Inputs )
