Virat Kohli silences critics with back-to-back centuries

Virat Kohli produced yet another masterclass on Wednesday, bringing up his 53rd ODI century with 102 runs off just 92 balls, an innings studded with 7 fours and 2 sixes.

Returning to home soil after months, he once again reminded India why he remains the most dependable presence in the top order.

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Kohli paused to celebrate the significance of the moment while the Raipur crowd erupted, grateful to witness a milestone they had waited to see from him on Indian soil.

His 84th international century in the game has helped him move up to fourth place in the ICC ODI batting rankings, with just 32 rating points behind the top-ranked, Rohit Sharma.

This century arrives at a time when conversations around team dynamics, preparation, and the role of senior players have intensified.

Questions had been raised about the readiness of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma after they retired from Tests and T20Is. They were also being pushed to participate more in domestic cricket. Although Kohli has declared himself available for Vijay Hazare trophy, his innings served as a timely answer.

He has been clear in his own approach saying the game has been mostly mental for him and that he simply wants to focus on enjoying cricket and getting better every day.

After the early dismissal of Yashasvi Jaiswal, the innings stabilised through a controlled partnership between Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad.

Promoted to replace the injured Shubman Gill, Gaikwad put his struggles from the first ODI behind him and produced a fluent maiden century with 105 runs off 83 balls.

It marked a sharp contrast to his 8 off 14 in the previous outing. Together, the pair pushed India past fifty inside seven overs.

Gaikwad later acknowledged how valuable it was to bat alongside Kohli, explaining that his senior partner guided him through the middle phase.

“Obviously a dream to bat with him and have a wonderful partnership. He helped me a lot throughout the middle about how to access gaps, what lengths the bowler might be bowling and how you can adjust your technique and score some runs by playing less dot balls. So definitely very helpful and good learning for me” Gaikwad said.

South Africa’s win has levelled the series, turning attention towards Kohli’s form for the 3rd ODI at Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam (Vizag).