Virat Kohli’s 52nd ODI Ton in Ranchi, New World Record for Most Hundreds in a Single Format

Key points

• Kohli scored 100 off 102 balls in the 1st ODI vs South Africa in Ranchi, stabilising the innings after an early wicket.
• This was his 52nd ODI century, taking him past Sachin Tendulkar’s 51 hundreds in one format, the most by any player in a single international format.
• He already holds the record for most ODI centuries overall, a mark he first went past in 2023.
• Kohli now has the most ODI centuries against South Africa, with six tons, ahead of Sachin Tendulkar and David Warner, who have five each.
• At home, he also holds the record for the most fifty-plus scores in ODIs, crossing the 100 mark for scores of 50 or more on Indian soil.

With this hundred in Ranchi, Virat Kohli became the first batter in men’s international cricket to score 52 centuries in a single format, moving ahead of Sachin Tendulkar’s legendary 51 Test hundreds. Kohli already overtook Tendulkar’s tally of ODI centuries during the 2023 World Cup, and this latest ton extends his lead and further separates him from every other modern great in the one-day game.

Across formats, Kohli now has more than 80 international centuries to his name, keeping him second only to Tendulkar’s all-format record of 100 hundreds, while continuing to narrow the gap with every passing series. His record in ODIs remains the standout pillar of his career, with over 14,000 runs at an elite average and a century count that no active player is close to matching.

Dominance against South Africa and at home

South Africa has long been considered one of the toughest attacks in world cricket, yet Kohli has turned them into one of his favourite opponents in ODIs. With this knock in Ranchi, he moved to six centuries against the Proteas in the format, more than any other batter, eclipsing the previous high watermark shared by Sachin Tendulkar and David Warner.

On home soil, Kohli has been even more relentless, piling up fifty or more in ODIs over a hundred times in India, a staggering measure of both longevity and consistency. This Ranchi masterclass was another example of how he repeatedly delivers in front of home fans, handling pressure, conditions and expectations with remarkable calm.

How the Ranchi ODI unfolded

After India lost the toss and were asked to bat first, the start was shaky when opener Yashasvi Jaiswal fell in the fourth over for just 18 runs. Kohli then joined Rohit Sharma in the middle, and the experienced pair rebuilt the innings with a fluent 136-run stand for the second wicket that shifted the momentum decisively in India’s favour.

Rohit’s 57 off 22 overs gave India early impetus before he was dismissed in the 22nd over, after which Ruturaj Gaikwad and Washington Sundar were unable to convert their starts into big scores. Through these mini collapses, Kohli held firm at one end, rotating the strike, punishing loose deliveries, and ensuring the run rate never dipped so low that India lost control of the game.

Kohli’s finishing flourish and impact on Team India

Kohli brought up his century on the third ball of the 39th over, raising his bat to a roaring Ranchi crowd that had seen him dominate yet another high-pressure international contest. After reaching three figures, he shifted gears instantly, launching two sixes off the next two balls and finishing the over with a boundary, giving India a late surge and a psychologically crushing finish to the innings.

This innings once again underlined how important his presence is to the Indian dressing room, with his experience, fitness and intensity guiding the side through tricky moments. Even after more than a decade and a half at the top, Kohli’s hunger for runs and records remains undiminished, and his 52nd ODI century in Ranchi is a clear message that he is still ready to carry India and keep rewriting the record books in international cricket.

Updated century tally

Kohli’s Ranchi hundred takes his international tally to 83 centuries across formats, keeping him second only to Sachin Tendulkar’s 100 international tons while extending his all-time lead in ODIs. He remains unique among modern batters for combining 30 Test centuries, a record 52 ODI centuries and a rare T20I hundred in one career.

Virat Kohli’s international centuries, format-wise