Virat Kohli breaks Sachin Tendulkar’s record with historic 52nd century in opening ODI against South Africa

During Sunday's India vs South Africa in the first ODI match, Virat Kohli etched his name even deeper into cricketing history, bringing up his 52nd century and becoming the first player ever to score so many tons in a single format. The milestone takes him past Sachin Tendulkar, whose long-standing record of 51 Test hundreds had remained untouched for years.

With this innings, Kohli stands alone at the top of the list — the only batter to cross the 50-century mark in one format apart from Tendulkar himself.

Earlier in the day, South Africa’s stand-in skipper Aiden Markram won the toss and sent India in to bat in the opening ODI of the three-match series. Kohli, who entered the game level with Tendulkar at 51 centuries, needed just one more to break the record. He did it in authoritative fashion, moving clear of his childhood hero and setting a new all-time high for the sport.





The landmark ton also brings him within striking distance of another monumental achievement.

Kohli is now just 337 runs away from reaching 28,000 international runs — a feat accomplished by only two men: Kumar Sangakkara, who amassed 28,016 runs in 594 matches, and Sachin Tendulkar, who finished with an unmatched 34,357 runs in 664 games. Kohli currently sits at 27,673 runs from 553 matches and 620 innings at an impressive average of 52.21, backed by 82 centuries, 144 half-centuries and a personal best of 254*.

His 2025 ODI form has remained solid as well. In 10 matches this year, he has compiled 349 runs at an average of 43.62, including a century, three fifties and a top score of an unbeaten 100* — numbers that suggest another major milestone may soon be within his grasp.