In a spectacular display of batting mastery, Virat Kohli delivered his second consecutive century during the second One-Day International against South Africa in Raipur on Wednesday. The legendary batsman, often hailed as ‘King Kohli’ for his extraordinary run-scoring capabilities, notched his 53rd ODI hundred with a commanding 102-run performance from just 93 deliveries.
Kohli found a formidable partner in Ruturaj Gaikwad, who celebrated his maiden ODI century with an impressive 105 runs. The duo constructed a massive 195-run partnership for the third wicket, systematically dismantling South Africa’s bowling attack after India’s openers departed relatively early. Their collaborative effort formed the foundation of India’s imposing total of 358-5.
The batting spectacle began with Kohli signaling his intent immediately, launching his innings with a spectacular six off pace bowler Lungi Ngidi. While Yashasvi Jaiswal provided a brisk start with 22 runs, it was the Kohli-Gaikwad partnership that truly dominated the proceedings. Both batsmen demonstrated remarkable fluency, consistently finding boundaries and rotating the strike with precision.
The emotional highlight arrived when Gaikwad reached his century milestone, receiving an enthusiastic embrace from his celebrated partner. Though Gaikwad eventually departed, Kohli continued his relentless pursuit, eventually bringing up his 84th international century across all formats to thunderous applause from a capacity crowd of 60,000 spectators.
Kohli’s dismissal to Ngidi, caught by Aiden Markram, prompted a standing ovation as the champion batsman exited the field. His innings featured seven boundaries and two sixes, maintaining a strike rate of over 109. Captain KL Rahul then provided the finishing flourish with an unbeaten 66, including an 18-run final over that pushed India’s total beyond the 350-mark.
This performance extends Kohli’s record as the leading century-maker in ODI cricket, now four centuries ahead of retired Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar’s 49 hundreds. The 37-year-old batting maestro, who along with 38-year-old Rohit Sharma now focuses exclusively on the 50-over format after retiring from T20 and Test cricket, continues to redefine batting excellence.
South Africa faces a challenging pursuit of 359 runs to keep the three-match series alive, having fallen 17 runs short while chasing 349 in the opening encounter.