Kohli's Century Unsuccessful as India Falls to South Africa in ODI

In a thrilling ODI match, India faced a four-wicket defeat against South Africa, ending a long winning streak for Virat Kohli despite his impressive century. Kohli scored 102 runs, but South Africa's strong batting performance led them to chase down a challenging target of 359 runs. This match marked the first time in over six years that Kohli's century did not result in a victory for India. The article delves into match highlights, player performances, and the implications for the upcoming decider.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 4, 2025, 00:07 IST

Kohli's Century in Vain as Winning Streak Ends

India faced a disappointing four-wicket defeat against South Africa in the second ODI held in Raipur, marking the end of a successful run that had persisted since 2019. This match saw Virat Kohli, despite scoring a century, end up on the losing side for the first time in six years and nine months.

In the Raipur match, Kohli captivated fans with a remarkable 102 runs off 93 balls, featuring seven boundaries and two sixes, achieving a strike rate exceeding 109. However, his impressive performance was overshadowed by Aiden Markram's 110 runs off 98 balls and solid contributions from Matthew Breetzke and Dewald Brevis, leading South Africa to chase down a target of 359 runs—the joint-highest successful chase against India in ODIs.

A Six-Year Streak Broken

Prior to this match, the last time India lost an ODI while Kohli scored a century was in March 2019. In that game, Kohli's outstanding 123 runs off 95 balls, which included 16 fours and a six, left India 32 runs short of the 314-run target set by Australia, who had centuries from Usman Khawaja and Aaron Finch.

'King of the Chase': A Look at Kohli's ODI Dominance

From March 2019 until the day before the Raipur ODI, Kohli amassed 11 additional ODI centuries in winning efforts over 55 innings, accumulating 2,834 runs at an impressive average of 67.47. He is regarded as one of India's most prolific match-winners, with 44 of his 53 ODI centuries contributing to victories. Notably, 24 of these centuries were scored while chasing, solidifying his reputation as the 'King of the Chase' with 6,072 runs at an average of 89.29 in successful chases. Only eight of his ODI centuries have come in losses, with one match resulting in no outcome.

In 12 ODIs this year, Kohli has scored 586 runs across 12 innings, averaging 58.60 with a strike rate of 92.72, including three centuries and three fifties, with a top score of 135.

Raipur ODI Match Recap

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Exciting Decider Ahead

An exhilarating decider is set for Saturday.