Kohli’s 52nd ODI Masterclass Lights Up Ranchi
So, this India vs South Africa clash in Ranchi turned into one of those nights where everything felt larger than life, and Virat Kohli was right at the center of it. The match was shaped almost entirely by his sheer class, as he brought up his record-extending 52nd ODI century. And honestly, the way he batted, it just felt effortless—like he was playing his own game while everyone else tried to catch up.
India, once again, lost the toss—believe it or not, their 19th consecutive losing toss in ODIs—so they were put in to bat first. Yashasvi Jaiswal fell early, and that brought Kohli to the middle much sooner than expected. In the same over, Rohit Sharma got a lifeline when a catch was dropped, and from that moment onwards, the Kohli-Rohit show took off. Their partnership looked so smooth and natural that you could hear the Ranchi crowd buzzing with every single stroke. They stitched together a massive 136-run stand for the second wicket, marking their 20th century partnership in ODIs—tying them for second on the all-time list.
Rohit, who’s been in terrific touch, brought up yet another half-century and even smashed two huge sixes off Prenelan Subrayen. With one more clean hit, he overtook Shahid Afridi to become the all-time leading six-hitter in ODI cricket. That moment alone would’ve been enough for headlines on any other day, but Kohli decided this was going to be his night.
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His 135 off 120 balls was crafted with precision—seven sixes, 11 fours, and nearly half his runs coming from hard running between the wickets. For a 37-year-old who says he’s done with Tests and T20 internationals, the energy he showed was unreal. At one point, a pitch invader even ran onto the field and kissed his feet—that’s the kind of aura he was carrying.
India looked shaky for a bit when Rohit, Gaikwad, and Sundar fell in quick succession, but KL Rahul stepped up with a calm, controlled 60. Together with Kohli, he rebuilt the innings before Jadeja added a fiery late cameo. Those final seven overs, where India hammered 72 runs, pushed the total to a towering 349.
South Africa’s chase started disastrously—three wickets were gone with just 11 runs on the board. But credit to Matthew Breetzke and Marco Jansen, who dragged them back into the game with attacking innings. Kuldeep Yadav’s double strike in the 34th over shifted momentum again, yet South Africa somehow stayed alive until the very end thanks to Corbin Bosch’s fighting 67. But the pressure eventually caught up, and India sealed a 17-run win.
After the match, Kohli made it clear he’s sticking only to ODIs now, saying he relies more on mental clarity than heavy preparation. And judging by how he played, that mindset is working beautifully.
It was a night packed with records, drama, and pure cricketing artistry—one of those matches fans will talk about for a long time.
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