King Kohli is back! Scores stunning century in Ranchi

Dubai: You can’t keep the legendary Virat Kohli out of the headlines for long. The king announced his return in spectacular fashion, smashing his 52nd ODI century against South Africa in the series opener at Ranchi on Sunday.

Kohli reached the landmark in 102 deliveries, peppering the innings with seven fours and five towering sixes, further enhancing his remarkable record at the venue. It was his third ODI hundred in Ranchi, reaffirming the ground as one of his most prolific hunting grounds.

His celebrations were momentarily interrupted when a pitch invader breached the field, forcing a brief stoppage before security restored order. The incident hardly dampened the electric atmosphere, with thousands of fans on edge as they awaited Kohli’s milestone.

Kohli’s journey to the century was marked by trademark composure. With the crowd hanging on every ball, he shunned risky strokes, inching closer through smart rotation of strike. At one point, he even tried to retain strike off the final delivery of an over, but KL Rahul turned down the single, heightening the tension. The moment finally arrived with Kohli’s usual calmness, followed by a thunderous roar that swept across the JSCA Stadium.

Earlier, Kohli had shown his intent from the moment he walked in during the fourth over. His first ball — a streaky edge for four off Nandre Burger — set things in motion. Reading the pitch quickly and sensing little assistance for the bowlers, he shifted gears smoothly. He took on Burger in the powerplay, launching a six and another boundary as India raced to 80 for 1 inside the first 10 overs.