Virat Kohli Ranchi made a match-fixing 135 off 120 balls in the first Odi South Africareinforcement India 349/8 and a tight 17-penny win on 30th November 2025. The 37-year-old, with seven sixes, scored a century of 52 and won player of the match at the JSCA International Stadium Complex. That performance silenced whispers of a Test comeback after May 2025, when he retired from injury after 123 matches and 9,230 runs.
Ind VS SA: Harsha Bhogle had a candid chat with Virat Kohli before discussing the Test comeback
Commentator during the post-match presentation Harsha Bhogle Raised a subtle query: Kohli planned to stick to one format on ongoing speculation. Kohli only confirmed his commitment to the ODIS, 300 in 37, after his 300-plus game, prioritizing recovery, stressing mental preparation and physical fitness for the multi-format demands. Bhogle later asked X to have an air chat with Kohli, after seeking permission to “slip in“Avoid scaring him, resist fan suggestions of surprise.
It would have been convenient if I had slipped it, if I had asked him … https://t.co/dhxoznvgyi
– Harsha Bhogle (@bhogharsha) 30 November 2025
Read: Viral pics: Gautam Gambhir hits 1st century against South Africa after Virat Kohli’s 83rd century
IND VS SA: Odi Focus to fuel Kohli’s Ranchi Masterclass
Kohli’s innings showed vintage flair, starting with an outside edge for four before revealing straight drives and undercuts. Nandre burger and Otteil Baartman. Its 136-current stop Rohit Sharma The second wicket laid the foundation for the eight-century partnership at home, on a pitch that later slowed down. Now with six Odi tons against South Africa, over Sachin TendulkarFive, Kohli has an average of 173 in 519 out of 519 in Ranchi, with all three centuries being over 120 in all three centuries.
South Africa chased one down for 332 in the lead Corbin Bosch‘s 67 off 51, however Kuldeep Yadav‘s 4/68 sealed the win. Kohli’s response to Bhogle is no U-turn: “If it’s always like that, I’m only playing one form of the game” This posture coincides with India’s Tour of India coming ahead of the Tour of England, reflexes and excitement protecting it.
