Kohli’s Ranchi masterclass earns applause across Team India

Virat Kohli rolled back the years with a brilliant 135 off 120 balls, a vintage knock that powered India to a 17-run win over South Africa in the first ODI on Sunday. A day after the victory, praise continued to pour in from every corner of the Indian camp, underlining just how special the innings felt to those who watched it unfold from up close.

Tilak Varma called the century “special” and “inspiring”, saying the clarity and control Kohli displayed were lessons he hoped to carry into his own batting. “You don’t often get to watch something like that live. His intensity didn’t drop for a single ball,” he said.

Kuldeep Yadav said the performance reminded him of Kohli’s most dominant phase. “It felt like 2016 to 2019 all over again, the strike rotation, the shot selection, the way he controlled the chase. The team feeds off that energy,” he said.

Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate emphasised how Kohli read the conditions perfectly. “Everyone knew the dew would settle in later. But Virat played like he was a step ahead of the game. His hundred was the difference between a good score and a winning score,” he said.

Gautam Gambhir’s response was more visual than verbal. The head coach stood up from the dressing-room balcony to give Kohli a full standing ovation, a rare gesture from him. Later, he shared a warm, widely-noticed hug with Kohli as he walked back, a moment that quietly captured just how much he appreciated the innings.

Rohit Sharma, who shared a crucial stand with Kohli, said the innings was a reminder of his long-time teammate’s unmatched hunger. “We’ve seen him do this for more than a decade. But every time he does it again, it feels new. He knows exactly when to push and when to pull back,” Rohit said.

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja added that Kohli’s body language changed the dressing room mood. “When he bats like that, the belief automatically goes up. You feel like 20-30 extra runs are guaranteed,” he said.

Young pacer Arshdeep Singh added a lighter note, saying Kohli’s work ethic sets the tone for everyone else. “He’s the first one in, last one out. Even after such a long innings, he was in the gym for recovery. That’s why he’s Virat Kohli,” he said.

Batting coach Vikram Rathour praised the technical precision of the innings, calling it “a masterclass in pacing an ODI innings”. “He played the spinners smartly, he attacked the right balls, and he never let the bowlers settle,” he said.

With India taking a 1-0 lead, the focus now shifts to the next game, but Kohli’s Ranchi masterclass has already become one of the talking points of the series, a reminder that even after all these years, the engine is far from slowing down.