Kohli’s 52nd ODI century powers India to victory over South Africa

RANCHI: Virat Kohli produced yet another masterclass in Ranchi on Sunday, extending his one-day international record with a 52nd century to guide India to a hard-fought 17-run victory over South Africa in the first match of the three-game ODI series. The win marked a strong response from the hosts after being swept in the preceding Test series.

Asked to bat after losing their 19th consecutive ODI toss, India recovered from an early setback when Yashasvi Jaiswal fell for 18. Kohli and Rohit Sharma then took charge, entertaining the packed stadium with a fluent 136-run stand for the second wicket. Their partnership laid the platform for India’s imposing total of 350, ensuring a solid launch to the series.

South Africa’s chase began disastrously as Harshit Rana removed Ryan Rickelton and Quinton de Kock for ducks, with Arshdeep Singh soon adding Aiden Markram to leave the visitors reeling at 11-3. But Matthew Breetzke (72) and Marco Jansen (70 off 39) revived their hopes, pushing the score to 227-5 before Kuldeep Yadav’s double strike in the 34th over halted the momentum.

Despite a determined last-wicket stand from Corbin Bosch, India’s bowlers held their nerve at the death. Tight overs from the attack denied South Africa any boundaries during a crucial stretch, forcing Nandre Burger into a risky shot that ended the fightback.

Reflecting on the dominant batting display from Kohli and Sharma, captain KL Rahul said, “It’s always fun to watch them play with that freedom… and show the world why they are who they are.”