Virat Kohli added another feather to his decorated ODI cap, smashing his 52nd ODI hundred in the first ODI between India and South Africa at Ranchi on Sunday. The imperious knock not only anchored the Indian innings but also saw the former captain break new ground, further cementing his status as one of the game’s undeniable greats. The century helped Kohli extend his own record for the most hundreds by any player in men’s ODI cricket, moving him comfortably clear of the 49 tons amassed by the great Sachin Tendulkar. In the process of reaching his 52nd ODI ton, Kohli went on to break a gigantic record held by the Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar, becoming the man with the most hundreds in a single format.
Tendulkar, with 51 hundreds in Test cricket, held the record jointly with Kohli until the latter reached the triple-digit score in Ranchi. Known for his remarkable appetite for runs against the Proteas, this latest century is Kohli’s 6th ODI hundred against South Africa.
In achieving this, he drew level and broke the three-way tie he held with the great Sachin Tendulkar of India and David Warner of Australia. The three of them previously held the top spot jointly with 5 hundreds each.
Furthermore, the three-figure score marks his 83rd international century across all formats of the game, a tally that places him second only to Tendulkar’s 100 tons in the history of cricket. It serves as a resounding statement that the 36-year-old batting icon remains driven to chase the final, monumental frontier in the sport.
HISTORY CREATED IN RANCHI.
– Virat Kohli now has most individual hundreds in a single format – 52. pic.twitter.com/vHP9yr2DC4
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) November 30, 2025
The innings, characterised by his classic cover drives and masterful rotation of the strike, was a vintage display of composure and class. Coming in early after the loss of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kohli stabilised the innings alongside his long-time partner, Rohit Sharma, ensuring the platform was set for a massive total.
In the 3-match series against South Africa, Kohli would also look to reach the tally of 28,000 runs in international cricket. The feat has previously been achieved only by Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara. Ahead of the start of the series, Kohli needed 337 runs to reach the milestone.
Topics mentioned in this article
