Vintage Virat masterclass

The 37-year-old makes statement with a match-winning 135 as India beat SA by 17 runs

- GOMESH S @Chennai

Virat Kohli celebrates his century against South Africa in Ranchi on Sunday | PTI

(PTI)

IT’S not like Virat Kohli hasn’t gotten there before. He has gotten to that milestone figure 51 times before in ODIs; 82 times across formats for India.

For Kohli, ODI century is a norm. No one has more hundreds in the format. In fact the next two active players behind him are his partner-in-crime Rohit Sharma (33) and the keeper behind his batting crease, Quinton de Kock (22).

But as Kohli guided South Africa’s Marco Jansen on the fifth ball of the 38th over in Ranchi on Sunday, the world knew what this particular hundred, 52nd in ODIs, meant to him. He jogged to the other end, leapt like phoenix and punched his fist in the air and let out a roar. Before even he could loft his bat and celebrate, a fan ran on to the ground to touch his feet. That fan, much like the thousands in the ground and millions watching the match live, was aware that he had witnessed an ODI century for the ages.