Kuldeep Yadav, Tilak Varma Praises Virat Kohli’s Century At Ranchi

Virat Kohli’s stunning 135 in Ranchi drew glowing praise from Kuldeep Yadav and Tilak Varma, who hailed it as a return to his peak brilliance.

Virat Kohli delivered a masterful performance in Ranchi, scoring his 52nd ODI century with a powerful 135 runs. His innings, filled with 11 boundaries and seven sixes, led India to a strong total and ultimately a series victory against South Africa.

The brilliant knock left his teammates, including Kuldeep Yadav and Tilak Varma, full of admiration for the legendary batter.

Both young players expressed their awe, comparing Kohli’s aggressive batting to his peak years. They highlighted the value of having his experience and energy in the dressing room, emphasizing how much they learn from him every day.

Speaking to the BCCI, Kuldeep Yadav said, “My career started with Virat Bhai when he was the captain. The way that he batted, I felt I had gone back 8-9 years. The way he was batting in 2017, 2018 and 2019. It was a very good innings and he looked very confident. What his shot selection was, the ball was coming nicely off the bat.”

He added, “It feels good to be with him. You get to learn a lot. You always get inputs. Even in bowling, you get inputs as to what you can do. It’s good to have the seniors like him around. They bring energy and intensity in the team as you have seen on the field. So we’re lucky to have it.”

Tilak Varma called it one of the best knocks he has witnessed. He said: “We have seen one of the best knocks again. I am very happy that I have seen a hundred of Virat bhai live. Since the last 17 years, he has been electrifying on the field. The batting, fielding, everything. He is absolutely at the top, and I have learnt a lot from him and it’s a pleasure to watch him live. I will keep talking to him and learn as much as I can.”

As of November 30, 2025, Virat Kohli holds the record for 83 international centuries, placing him second in history behind Sachin Tendulkar’s 100 centuries. His centuries are distributed across formats as follows: 52 in One Day Internationals (ODI), 30 in Test Cricket, and 1 in Twenty20 Internationals (T20I).

Kohli holds the world record for the most ODI centuries, having surpassed Tendulkar’s long-standing record of 49. His 52 ODI centuries represent the most hundreds by a batter in any single international format.