Star India batter Virat Kohli once again proved his class on Wednesday. He scored his second straight century in the ODI series against South Africa. The match was played in Raipur. The 37-year-old reached his hundred in just 90 balls. It was his 53rd century in ODI cricket. This is now the most by any player in the format.
Kohli had also scored a big 135 in the first ODI in Ranchi. With this ton, he now has 84 international centuries. He is moving closer to Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time record of 100 international hundreds. Tendulkar retired from international cricket in 2013. He ended his career with 51 Test and 49 ODI centuries.
Another Masterclass From India’s Run Machine, Virat Kohli
This was also the 11th time that Virat Kohli scored back-to-back centuries in ODIs. No other player has done this more often. It shows his great consistency in the 50-over format. Once again, he answered his critics with his bat. He looked calm, confident, and in full control throughout his innings.
Kohli also moved closer to the top spot in the ICC ODI batting rankings. He is now just 32 rating points behind Rohit Sharma. Kohli had held the No.1 ranking for more than three years in the past. He lost the top spot in April 2021 when Pakistan’s Babar Azam overtook him.
In the latest rankings, Rohit increased his lead at the top. New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell is in second place. Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran is in third. Kohli moved past Shubman Gill to take fourth place. He is now pushing hard for the No.1 position again.
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There was more good news for India. Left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav moved up to sixth in the ODI bowling rankings. There was also a change at the top of the T20I all-rounders’ rankings after the recent tri-series in Pakistan.
