Virat Kohli, without a doubt, is once again showing his best form on the field. He hit a marvelous 102 runs from 93 balls in Raipur and celebrated his 53rd hundred in the ODI format, which is also his second century in a row. The Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium was a real spectacle when he took a single off Marco Jansen to complete the milestone.
Kohli came in as the first one down at a very early stage and was looking the master of his game. He completed the hundred in 90 balls, changed the pace of the game effortlessly, and controlled the innings in the same old efficient way. But even after his knockout by Lungi Ngidi at 102, no one could deny that he had already fired the team up to a comfortable run.
Ruturaj Gaikwad contributed with an equally calm 105 which was a clear reflection of the team’s game plan in the modern one-day scenario: a slow but steady starter, a quality option through the middle, and a great finisher. The bond the two players shared on the crease highlighted the immense potential of the team batting order when one of the batsmen is anchoring and the other one is striking the ball with power.
One hundred and fifty-three for Kohli, scoreless and unyielding strategy-cutting
The world of cricket salutes Kohli for his addiction to scoring hundreds. Kohli’s teammates and former rivals did not waste their time to express admiration for the fifty-three runs made by him. Virender Sehwag was the first to speak and he praised Kohli with a subtle smile, saying that the way he scores hundreds it was as if playing with them was part of his routine. Irfan Pathan, on the other hand, was a bit of a joker, as he claimed that now, the King also plays with the enemy’s plans during weekdays.
Mohammad Kaif praised what he saw as Kohli from the old days and a loving reminder of his ODI golden days. The match was rated even better by Shreevats Goswami due to the tough pitch and the lights factor. Harbhajan Singh also didn’t spare his words in giving credit to the two, Kohli and Gaikwad, for an edge execution. “A diamond is forever” was the sentence that best described the situation.’
Milestones that matter: records, venues, and a Tendulkar tie
The hundred in Raipur for Kohli was one of that crossed out almost all milestones of recent time. He has achieved it eleven times in a row now, the highest of any player in the world. Not to mention that Raipur was the 34th and the latest venue where he has scored one, thus keeping him just like Tendulkar in terms of the number of locations where ODI tons were made.
He’s already at 84, the record being Tendulkar’s 100 international centuries. Still, by the virtue of generation and the power, he is doing very well in that regard. The present form is the same, the technology to make new records is the same, but the intensity is undiminished.
Anushka Sharma cheers, fans celebrate a new high
For the occasion that came, Anushka Sharma happily displayed a red heart emoji on Instagram, a gesture that shone on that day. Despite reaching fans and followers, many players and performers gave their praise, considering it to be a great chapter. Few athletes are able to attract as much attention as Kohli does on social media, and each achievement extends his influence further.
Regarding life off the field, the celebrated couple never fails to maintain their modesty. However, during times like this, their common pride becomes very clear. The photograph of Kohli’s leap and Anushka’s silent clapping was inevitably a beautiful picture of sports and unity for their fans.
What it means for India: clarity ahead of 2027
It is a signal of the same for the leading cricketer to go back to the domestic fifty-over format through the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The country of South Africa will host the ICC 2027 ODI World Cup on its grounds, the location being a few years away from the present. The new Raipur’s performance proofs that the planned strategy is still operational and securing the wanted results.
The focus right now is on following the planned schedules and concentrating on the workload peaks. The top batting line-up of India looks scary when Kohli plays the role of the metronome and run-accumulators such as Gaikwad capitalize. The combination of risk, rotation, and power-hitting was almost ideal in this game.
Virat Kohli ko 100 ka nasha hi alag hai. Hum log centuries gin rahe hote hain, woh bas routine ka kaam samajh ke kar deta hai.
Back-to-back 100‘s for the King. 53rd ODI hundred. Virat hai toh mumkin hai. A brilliant century from Ruturaj Gaikwad as well making batting look very… pic.twitter.com/afDYqC9N6k— Virrender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) December 3, 2025
A catchy headline
Virat Kohli’s 53rd ODI hundred was more than just a figure. It was proof of a winner who was moving the goalposts himself through skill and peace. If we are going to be witnessing two of his consecutive hundreds again, then bowlers are going to have a really tough time the whole season. Like a line that is becoming popular on the internet says: as long as it is Virat, it is not impossible.
