Virat Kohli etched his name deeper into cricket lore Sunday, slamming his 52nd ODI century to surpass Sachin Tendulkar's 49 and claim the outright record for most tons in a single format during India's Ranchi triumph.
Kohli's 135 off 120 balls—his sixth against South Africa—featured 12 fours and four sixes, rescuing India from 25-1 to 349-8. The knock, his second in 2025 after the Champions Trophy, elevated his ODI tally to 14,000 runs and international centuries to 83 (52 ODIs, 30 Tests, 1 T20I).
Tendulkar, with 51 Test hundreds, shared the single-format mark until Kohli's pull for his 100th run off Marco Jansen. At 37, Kohli's efficiency—52 tons in 294 ODIs (one every 5.65 innings) vs Tendulkar's 49 in 452 (one every 9.22)—fuels eternal debates.
Rahul: "Kohli's hunger inspires." Tendulkar tweeted: "Records chase him now."
Kohli's peak (11 centuries in 2017-18) endures; 2025's form eyes 2027 World Cup. Legacy: 58 wins from 83 tons.
