Kohli's Streak Ends: India Loses in Raipur ODI

In a surprising turn of events, the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur witnessed a rare defeat for the Indian cricket team against South Africa. Despite Virat Kohli's impressive century, India fell short in a thrilling last-over finish. Kohli scored 102 runs off 93 balls, his 53rd ODI century, but it wasn't enough to secure a win for the team.

Kohli's innings was a spectacle for the fans, featuring seven fours and two sixes at a strike rate of over 109. This marked his first century at the Raipur venue and added to his remarkable record of scoring centuries against various teams. Along with Ruturaj Gaikwad, Kohli formed a formidable partnership, contributing 195 runs for the third wicket, which helped India set a challenging target of 359 runs.

However, South Africa, led by Aiden Markram’s brilliant 110 off 98 balls and solid contributions from Matthew Breetzke and Dewald Brevis, successfully chased down the target with four balls remaining. This victory marked the joint-highest successful chase against India in One Day Internationals (ODIs).

India's defeat also ended a remarkable streak of 2,462 days, during which they had not lost an ODI match in which Kohli scored a century. The last time this occurred was on March 8, 2019, against Australia. Additionally, it was the first instance in eight years where India failed to defend a total after Kohli scored a century, highlighting the unpredictable nature of cricket.

Despite this loss, Kohli remains in fine form, having amassed 586 runs in 12 innings this year, with an impressive average of 58.60 and a strike rate of 92.72. His consistent performance keeps him among the top players, currently ranking fourth in the ICC ODI rankings. Fans are eagerly waiting to see how he and the Indian team bounce back in the upcoming matches.