Former India captain Virat Kohli smashed his 52nd ODI century in the first ODI against South Africa at JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi, as the KL Rahul-led side registered a 17-run win in the first ODI to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Kohli on preparations before featuring in a match
Kohli, who is arguably one of the fittest cricketers to ever play the sport, revealed that he is not a believer in a lot of preparations and that all his cricket has been mental.
"Today was really nice to get into the game like that. Pitch played decently for 20-25 overs before slowing down. I just wanted to play the ball and enjoy the game of cricket. It was about enjoying and when you get a start, then the experience kicks in and you're able to build an innings. I've never been a believer of a lot of prep. All my cricket has been mental. I work physically very hard, as long as my fitness levels are up and then you visualise batting and feeling well, it's good" said Kohli who was awarded Player of the match.
Kohli, who was featuring for the first time in India after the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, has scored 135 runs off 120 balls, including 11 fours and seven maximums, which helped India to put a mammoth 349 total.
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Kohli surpassed Tendulkar
Kohli, who completed 83 international centuries, has also surpassed cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar's mark of 51 Test centuries to become the batter with the most centuries in a single format of the sport. He also surpassed Sachin in two more aspects, registering his sixth ODI ton against South Africa, outdoing Sachin and David Warner. The modern-day great is second second-highest run-getter in ODIs after Tendulkar and probably the most experienced player currently featuring for India.
"I've played 300-odd ODI games and so much cricket, if you're in touch with the game and are able to hit balls in the practice, if you bat for an hour or two in the nets, you know you're good. If you're out of form, you want to play more in the nets. Other than than, it's about being mentally ready and enjoying the game" added Kohli
India vs South Africa 1st ODI
Virat Kohli's 52nd ODI century, followed by Kuldeep Yadav's left-arm wrist spin trickery and Harshit Rana’s pace, helped India to register a 17-run win over South Africa in the first ODI. India will now face South Africa on December 3 at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Raipur.