Who said what - top 5 expert reactions on Virat Kohli's second consecutive hundred in IND vs SA 2025 2nd ODI ft. Sunil Gavaskar

Virat Kohli continued his stellar form with yet another century in the second ODI between India and South Africa on Wednesday, December 3. Having scored a hundred in the first game of the series as well, it was his second consecutive ton.

Kohli made 102 runs off 93 balls with seven boundaries and two sixes at a strike-rate of 109.68 as India batted first. It was his 53rd hundred in the format and 84th overall. Although the hosts failed to win the game, it was a treat to watch Virat Kohli at his absolute best.

In the first ODI, he had slammed a magnificent 135 off just 120 balls with 11 fours and seven maximums at a strike-rate of 112.5.

Following his second consecutive hundred, let us take a look at the top reactions from experts.

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#5 Zaheer Khan

Former India pacer Zaheer Khan highlighted that Virat Kohli's strike-rate in this series was a statement made by the star batter. He reckoned that Kohli was not afraid and looked to attack the opposition from the start. Zaheer reflected that this approach from Kohli was a great sign at this point.

"That partnership between Ruturaj and Virat was a standout, there is no doubt about that. If you see Virat's strike rate this series, it is definitely a talking point. It is very evident that he is looking to be aggressive from the word go. Today also was pretty much similar, not afraid of taking on the bowlers as early in the innings as possible, which is a great sign for him at this stage," he said on Cricbuzz.

Notably, Kohli was involved in a record 195-run stand with Ruturaj Gaikwad for the third wicket. The partnership came off just 156 balls and was the highest for India against South Africa in ODIs.

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#4 Harbhajan Singh

Spin legend Harbhajan Singh slammed critics for writing Virat Kohli off following his consecutive hundreds. He reckoned that India did not have a player as fit as Kohli even to date. He questioned those who claimed there was no place for Kohli in the team anymore.

"People are writing him (Kohli) off, telling that it is a new generation, new players should come in and all that. You don't have such a fit player among your newcomers as well. Is there anyone? If you can point your finger at Virat Kohli and say that there is no place for him, then brother, what are you doing?" he said on his YouTube channel.

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#3 Irfan Pathan

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan hailed Kohli's fitness, which was evident from the way he scored consecutive hundreds and his iconic celebration. Irfan highlighted that Kohli made a strong comeback after registering two consecutive ducks during the previous series against Australia. He also credited the star batter for understanding the conditions well and batting accordingly.

"Firstly, we need to talk about Virat Kohli. A player aged 37, the way his fitness is, scoring back-to-back centuries, it shows in the way he jumps to celebrate. He jumps approximately 9 meters, shows what kind of focus he has. He started with two ducks in Australia but has scored at least 50 runs in the next three innings. After a knock of 74 runs in Australia, he has scored back-to-back tons. The challenge was different here. He understood that the pitch is slightly different here and had to play cautiously. Kohli started with a six but played cautiously whenever the ball was pitched outside off-stump," he said on his YouTube channel.

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#2 Aakash Chopra

Former batter Aakash Chopra made a massive claim, predicting that Virat Kohli could very well go on to score 100 international hundreds, looking at his current form. He reckoned that the way Kohli has batted so far in this series gave a 'vintage' and 'trademark' vibe, going back in time.

Chopra hailed the star batter for his measured and effective approach in the second ODI.

"Virat Kohli has struck back-to-back centuries. He is the emperor of centuries. He has been absolutely outstanding. Now it seems like in the matches left, including the ones in the 2027 World Cup, he can hit 100 centuries because he is only 18 (16) centuries away and nearly 40 games are left. He batted in a slightly different gear this time. It was vintage and trademark, but he played with a different game plan this time. It wasn't like the seven-six aggression that was seen in Ranchi. It was slightly measured, but effective," he observed in a video on his YouTube channel.

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#1 Sunil Gavaskar

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar reckoned that Virat Kohli carried confidence from his hundred in the first ODI. Gavaskar reflected that Kohli looked certain to score a century right from the start of his innings. He stated that getting off the mark with a six was evidence of the confidence with which Kohli was batting.

"To be honest, at no point did it look like he wasn't going to get a hundred. From the first ball he faced, it felt as if he was carrying on from Ranchi. He got off the mark with a hook for six, a shot he doesn't often play in the air, which showed the confidence from his previous hundred. After that, unless something unfortunate happened, the hundred always seemed inevitable," he told JioStar (via Economic Times)