Virat Kohli raised his bat and acknowledged the roaring crowd. (PTI Photo) NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli’s remarkable run in the ongoing ODI series against South Africa continues to underline why he remains one of the most consistent batters in world cricket. After announcing himself in the series with a brilliant century in the first ODI in Ranchi, Kohli followed it up with yet another fluent knock — a composed half-century in the second ODI at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur. Kohli had scored 135 off 120 balls in India’s 17-run win on Ranchi. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The milestone came in classic Kohli fashion — a calm drive to sweeper cover for a single off Lungi Ngidi — bringing up his fifty as chants of “Kohli! Kohli!” echoed around the stadium.
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The former India captain raised his bat and acknowledged the roaring crowd. The cameras quickly shifted to the Indian dressing room, where head coach Gautam Gambhir was seen applauding the star batter’s effort, reflecting the significance of the moment.Kohli’s recent ODI scores — 74(81), 135(120), and 50(47)** — highlight the form he is currently enjoying. This run also extends one of his most fascinating statistical achievements: Kohli has now registered 13 separate streaks of three or more consecutive 50-plus ODI scores. Watch the video hereNo other batter comes close — Rohit Sharma follows with 11, while Sachin Tendulkar has 10 such streaks, showcasing the elite company Kohli continues to dominate.His match-winning hundred in Ranchi, which was his 52nd ODI century, played a massive role in India’s 17-run win over South Africa. The innings not only helped India take the lead in the series but also boosted Kohli’s ICC ODI ranking. The 37-year-old climbed to No. 4 with 751 points, trailing Rohit Sharma (783), Daryl Mitchell (766), and Ibrahim Zadran (764). He also overtook Indian captain Shubman Gill, who slipped to No. 5 after missing the series due to injury.Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer remains steady at No. 9, while Kuldeep Yadav moved up to sixth after a four-wicket haul in the series opener. In the Test rankings, Yashasvi Jaiswal holds No. 9 among batters, while Jasprit Bumrah continues to dominate the Test bowling chart at the top with 879 points.
