Match result and key scores
India posted 349/8 at the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi, with Virat Kohli scoring a superb 135 off 120 balls, Rohit Sharma making 57 off 51 and captain KL Rahul adding 60 off 56. In reply, South Africa fought hard but were bowled out for 332 in 49.2 overs, giving India a 17‑run victory and a 1‑0 lead in the three‑match ODI series.
Kuldeep Yadav led India’s bowling with 4/68, while Harshit Rana picked up 3 wickets to stop South Africa’s late charge. For the visitors, Matthew Breetzke (72), Marco Jansen (70) and Corbin Bosch (67) kept the chase alive till the final over before India closed out the game.
Rohit Sharma’s world sixes record
Rohit Sharma became the player with the most sixes in men’s ODI history during his 57‑run knock. With his third six of the evening, he moved to 352 ODI sixes, going past Pakistan legend Shahid Afridi’s previous mark of 351.
Rohit already holds the record for most sixes in international cricket across formats and added another big landmark in Ranchi. He has also crossed 2,000 international runs against South Africa, continuing his strong record against the Proteas.
Virat Kohli’s 52nd ODI century
Virat Kohli produced a classic ODI hundred, scoring 135 with 11 fours and 7 sixes to register his 52nd century in the format. This made him the batter with the most centuries in a single format in international cricket, going past Sachin Tendulkar’s 51 Test hundreds.
Kohli now also has the most ODI centuries against South Africa, with six tons in just 30 matches against them. His Ranchi hundred was his third ODI century at this venue, making him the player with the most ODI hundreds at a single ground in India.
Rohit–Kohli partnership milestones
Rohit and Kohli added 136 runs for the second wicket, their 20th century stand together in ODIs, which puts them joint second on the all‑time list. Only Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, with 26 century partnerships, are ahead of them in ODI history.
The pair also completed their 52nd fifty‑plus partnership in ODIs, underlining their long‑term consistency for India. This match was the 392nd international game they played together, the most by any Indian pair, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid’s 391.
Other big records from Ranchi ODI
India’s 349/8 is now the highest ODI total ever recorded in Ranchi, beating the previous best of 313/5 set by Australia in 2019. It is also India’s second‑highest ODI total against South Africa, after the famous 401 in Gwalior in 2010.
One unusual statistic also continued: India’s toss jinx in ODIs. The team has now lost the toss in 19 consecutive ODIs, a streak that began after the 2023 ODI World Cup final, extending their world record for most consecutive toss losses in the format.
