Virat Kohli

Indian cricketer Virat Kohli, his family members, all-rounder Washington Sundar, and others offered prayers at the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple here on Sunday, an official of the temple body said. Team India defeated South Africa by nine wickets, sealing the series 2-1 with a dominant win in the final match at the Andhra Cricket Association-Visakhapatnam District Cricket Association (ACAVDCA) Stadium in Visakhapatnam on December 6. Temple officials received Kohli and his family and escorted them for darshan. They first took part in the traditional Kappasthambham Alinganam (embracing the sacred pillar) ritual before proceeding to the deity's darshan. Kohli visited the temple along with his family members and Team India representatives, the official told PTI, adding that scholars later chanted Veda Ashirvachanam to the sound of Nadaswaram after the darshan. Later, priests honoured the visitors with the temple's Shesha Vasthram (sacred cloth) and presented them with the .

Kohli admitted that the Ranchi hundred held deeper meaning, especially since he had not played competitive cricket since the Australia tour.

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh finds it a bit unfortunate that the future of legends like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli is being decided by "people who have not achieved much" but he nonetheless expects the duo to carry on till the 2027 ODI World Cup. The 38-year-old Rohit and the 37-year-old Kohli only play the ODI format now and there has been intense speculation on whether they would be able to continue till the World Cup in South Africa given the shrinking ODI calendar across the cricket-playing world. Head coach Gautam Gambhir and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar have been non-committal on the possibility but the two players have dropped ample hints to suggest that they intend to fight for their place. "It is beyond our understanding. I may not be able to answer because I have been a player myself and what I have seen has happened to me as well. It has happened to many of my teammates but it is very unfortunate. We don't talk about it or have a discussion about it," ...

Ruturaj Gaikwad and Virat Kohli's century goes in vain as the series will now be decided in the third ODI at Visakhapatnam

Kohli produced a masterclass under pressure, steadying the innings after early wickets and ensuring India stayed on track for a big total.

Kohli last appeared in a domestic 50-over match for Delhi in the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy in September 2013, while his previous Vijay Hazare Trophy outing dates back to the 2009-10 season.

Legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar on Sunday hailed Virat Kohli as the greatest one-day cricketer of all time, saying the Indian icon's world-record tally of centuries underline his unmatched stature in the format. Kohli on Sunday brought up his 52nd ODI century, amassing 135 off 120 balls to help India post 349 for 8 against South Africa in the first ODI. "I don't think there's any doubt about that. I mean, it's not just me. I think those who have played with him and against him, they all agree that he is the greatest in the one-day format," Gavaskar told Jiostar. "Look, you scored 52 hundreds. That actually sets you up right up there in stratosphere, so to speak." The former India captain pointed out that even Australia's Ricky Ponting had acknowledged Kohli's brilliance. "I just heard that Ricky Ponting said that Kohli's the best that he's seen in one-day cricket. I mean, when an Australian captain says that -- and everyone will agree that it is rare, very rare to get praise from

India skipper KL Rahul marvelled at the ability of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to make the opposition look "silly" after the stalwarts came up with defining knocks against South Africa in the first ODI here on Sunday. Kohli made his 52nd ODI hundred, a 120-ball 135, and Rohit a well-crafted 57 as India celebrated a tight 17-run win over the Proteas to take 1-0 lead in the three-match series. "Watching Rohit and Kohli play like that is always fun. They've made oppositions look silly and show why they are who they are. I've seen this for a long time, it's a lot more fun to see them around in the dressing room," said Rahul in the post-match presentation. However, the close nature of the match made him a bit nervous towards the end. "I'd be lying if I said there were no butterflies in my stomach. We're playing ODI cricket after a while. There's some expectation. "But we kept taking wickets and the bowlers stuck to their plans. They pushed us and kept coming hard." The wicketkeeper b

For Virat Kohli, the mental aspect of batsmanship visualising game situations, feeling intense and sharp at the same time holds more value than over-preparation which has never been his philosophy. Returning to international action after a gap of a month, Kohli smashed his 52nd ODI and 83rd international century during the first match against South Africa, a classic 135 off 120 balls. "I have never been a believer of a lot of preparation. All my cricket has been mental. I work physically very hard, as long as my fitness levels are up and I am feeling well, it's good," said Kohli, in his own inimitable way, making clear what he feels about all those who are skeptical about his lack of match time. Maybe not in as many words but if one reads between the lines of Kohli's statement, it is not difficult to understand what he feels about playing in the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy, which the national selection committee wants him to do. "I've played 300-odd ODI games and so much cricket

Rohit broke Afridi's record of most ODI sixes in his 57-run innings before Kohli scored his record 52nd ODI ton to help India secure the series lead

Kohli is now 17 centuries away from Sachin's record of 100 international centuries

The Rohit-Kohli combination has accumulated over 5,400 partnership runs, ranking second on the all-time list of ODI partnerships by runs, behind Tendulkar and Ganguly's monumental 8,227 runs.

Rahul candidly stated that India's struggles against spin have become a recurring concern, especially in home conditions where they traditionally thrived

Morkel said that Rohit and Kohli's vast experience in high-pressure tournaments is something India cannot easily replace

Kohli was received by his old teammate and former India cricketer Saurabh Tiwary in Ranchi, who currently serves as the JKCA secretary

The responsibility of leading the team returns to KL Rahul, who last captained India in the 2023 ODI series against South Africa, a contest India won 2-1.

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru too have made their retentions public now with the team retaining most of their players who helped them clinch their maiden IPL title last season.

Rohit and Kohli have retired from Tests and T20 Internationals, and now the board wants them to stay match-fit through India's domestic circuit.

As the Chase Master adds another year to his illustrious career, it's the perfect time to revisit the records that cement his legacy as a class-apart player of his era.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are a "generational combo" of talent and cricket fans should celebrate the remainder of their glorious careers, says AB de Villiers while terming the critics of the two Indian superstars as "cockroaches". Facing intense scrutiny since last few months which saw both Kohli and Rohit retiring from Test cricket and T20Is, they made international comebacks during the recent ODI series in Australia, which India lost 1-2. It was their last tour of Australia and both Kohli and Rohit walked off on a high, with the former scoring 74 not out in his final innings Down Under and the latter winning the Player of the Series award after scores of 73 and 121 not out in the last two matches. "Rohit, another hundred. Back in the runs (is) the Biscotti, going strong and I am looking forward to what's sort of ahead," de Villiers said on his Facebook page. "I honestly just think, if you're a fan of cricket, it's just really time to celebrate players like these. It's not ofte