On Sunday, November 30, Virat Kohli scored his 52nd century in the format and his 83rd overall at the highest level for India during the first ODI in Ranchi. Kohli was on song from the very first ball, taking on the bowlers and hitting a lot more sixes. The fact that it was Kohli's joint-second-most sixes in an innings during his ODI career demonstrates how casually the 37-year-old was hitting on Sunday. Kohli smashed 11 fours and seven sixes in his 135-run knock, which meant that 49 came via running, something at which he is still a master at.was in superb form on Sunday, November 30, in the first ODI in Ranchi, smashing his 52nd century in the format and 83rd overall at the top level for India. From the first ball, Kohli looked on song and took the bowlers on, while hitting sixes a lot more. The fact that it was Kohli's joint-second-most sixes in an innings during his ODI career demonstrates how casually the 37-year-old was hitting on Sunday. In his 135-run knock, Kohli hit 11 fours and seven sixes, meaning that 49 of his runs came from running, a skill he still possesses.
At this point in his career, he is not preparing much; all of his preparation has been mental, and if he feels fit in his mind, he is good to go. Kohli continued to push the South African bowlers and fielders with those quick singles and doubles, and he was electric in the field as well. He added that physical fitness has just become second nature to him.
"I've never been a big fan of preparation. My entire cricket career has been mental. At the post-match presentation following India's 17-run victory in the series opener, Kohli told Harsha Bhogle, "As long as I feel mentally I can play the game, I work physically very hard every day of my life. It's got nothing to do with cricket anymore, it's just the way I live."
"You can visualize the game and see yourself running as hard and reacting quickly on the ball, so you know it's okay as long as my fitness levels are high and I'm enjoying and mentally sharp." "I know you'll be able to score some runs when the game opens up and you get a start," Kohli continued. The 37-year-old reaffirmed that he has been hitting the ball well and that all he needed was a few hours of practice to be ready to go, despite reports that the BCCI had Kohli and Rohit participate in the domestic 50-over tournament to familiarize themselves with the pace of the 50-over game.
"If you've played about 300 ODI matches and a lot of cricket over the past 15 to 16 years, you're kind of meeting all those markers if you're in touch with the game and you know that when you're hitting balls at practice, your reflexes are there, your physical ability is there to bat long, and you can bat an hour and a half to two hours in the nets without taking a break." Kohli, who frequently plays the nets in England during breaks, said, "I understand if there's a dip in form, you look for games and try to get that form back."
"But as long as you're hitting the ball well and playing good cricket, I think at this point with my experience, it's about being physically fit, mentally prepared, and excited to play the games that I'm playing, and more or less everything else should take care of itself."
It was a classic Kohli knock—starting strong, stabilizing in the middle, finishing strong, and celebrating with his customary jump and punch in the air when he reached that hundred, shattering the record for most centuries in one format in international cricket. Although South Africa's two all-rounders, Marco Jansen and Corbin Bosch, put up a valiant fight to make a match, the Men in Blue ultimately prevailed with a score of 349.