Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli batted brilliantly as India posted a massive score of 349/8 against South Africa in the first match of the series at the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi on November 30, 2025. After the early dismissal of Yashasvi Jaiswal, the duo put on a match-winning partnership of 136 runs for the second wicket, which was a combination of Rohit’s explosive play and Kohli’s superb accuracy. Rohit scored 57 runs off 51 balls—five fours and three sixes—and was then out lbw to Marco Jensen, thereby surpassing Shahid Afridi’s record of ODI sixes. Kohli scored 135 runs from 120 balls without losing (11 fours, seven sixes), his 52nd ODI century, and surpassing Sachin’s benchmark of single-format centuries.
It wasn’t just runs; This was a record breaking piece of art. Their partnership took Rohit-Kohli to 2,667 runs together in ODIs at home – their highest ever – surpassing the 2,596 runs scored by Sri Lanka’s Sangakkara-Jayawardene pair in 57 innings. At the global level, his 20th century partnership puts him tied for second place with Dilshan-Sangakkara, only behind Tendulkar-Ganguly’s iconic 26-run stand. In 102 matches, they have scored 5,500+ ODI partnership runs, second only to the great Tendulkar-Ganguly duo.
Most runs for a batting pair at home in ODIs.
**Pair** , **run** , **in** ,
V Kohli and R Sharma 2,667* , 41 ,
K Sangakkara and M Jayawardene 2,596 , 57 ,
E Morgan and J Root 2,364 , 38 ,
V Sehwag and S Tendulkar. 2,310 , 51 ,
Highest century partnership in ODI.
**Pair** , **St** , **in** ,
S Ganguly and S Tendulkar. 26 , 176 ,
V Kohli and R Sharma 20* , 102 ,
TM Dilshan and K Sangakkara 20 , 108 ,
S Dhawan and R Sharma 18 , 117 ,
As India look to bounce back at the World Cup 2027 after a debacle in Test matches, this reunion – Rohit’s third consecutive fifty, Kohli’s 76th – signals continued stability amid youthful changes. On a dewy night in Ranchi, where teams chasing targets do well, their old chemistry proves: experiences are better than ups and downs. South Africa faltered early at 77/4, showing the game-changing impact of the pair. Rohit-Kohli pair is not fading; They are redefining the legacy by setting boundaries one by one.
