Virat Kohli's future has been a course of debate as India plan for the future. The 36-year-old let his bat do the talking with a scintillating century in the IND vs SA 1st ODI in Ranchi. Kohli has a stellar record at the venue, with his hundred on Sunday being his third in 6 innings at the venue.

Virat Kohli's future has been a course of debate as India plan for the future. The 36-year-old let his bat do the talking with a scintillating century in the IND vs SA 1st ODI in Ranchi on Sunday. Batting first, Virat rolled back the years to hold the Indian innings together. It is his 52nd century in ODI cricket, continuing his dominant record in the format.

Kohli walked into bat after India lost Yashasvi Jaiswal early in the powerplay. Virat looked in good rhythm straight away, rotating the strike well with Rohit Sharma. Usually someone who looks for gaps, Virat made his intentions clear early on, with a a few sixes.

He reached his half-century in 48 balls, smashing Corbin Bosch over long off for a maximum. He followed it up with a upper cut six to put the South African attack under pressure.

Kohli slowed down once India suffered a little middle overs collapse after the loss of Rohit Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Washington Sundar. Once KL Rahul settled, Virat turned on the accelerator finding gaps for fun.

It was Kohli's 52nd ODI century, the most by a batter in a single format. Earlier, Sachin Tendulkar held that record with his 51 tons in Test cricket. Overall, Kohli has 83 centuries, with only Sachin (100) ahead of him across international cricket.

Kohli's century comes at a time when there are questions regarding his future. Virat is only active in ODI cricket, and has eyes on playing the 2027 World Cup. He will be 38 then and the selectors are keen to discuss his plans for the future. If his batting is any indication, Virat has shown no signs of slowing down despite the lack of game time.