Kohli’s back-to-back centuries and fierce celebrations have turned the spotlight firmly back on his enduring greatness, with former teammates insisting the batting icon is not just answering critics — he is reminding the game of the standard only he can set
Our Bureau
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Virat Kohli’s resurgence in the ongoing ODI series against South Africa has sparked not just delight among fans but also introspection within Indian cricket circles. Two centuries in two matches, animated celebrations and a renewed intensity have led former teammates Ravichandran Ashwin and Harbhajan Singh to declare that the 37-year-old has taken the recent chatter around his future “to heart” — and is responding in the only way he knows.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said Kohli’s aggressive celebrations were not random outbursts but emotional responses from someone who has heard doubts about his longevity and relevance. “Why is Virat celebrating like that? What has he gone through?” Ashwin asked. “Let’s not forget that Virat left Test cricket. There was chatter around his lack of runs in Tests… To leave the sport is a big decision.”
According to Ashwin, Kohli’s decision to play the Vijay Hazare Trophy, beginning December 24, signalled ongoing communication between him and team management — and revealed his determination to reclaim his narrative. “Virat must have thought, are these people doubting me? Doubting my ability? He must have taken it to heart. Now he is telling you: you doubted me? I have shown what I can do,” Ashwin said.
Kohli’s technical adjustments have also impressed the senior spinner. “His centre of gravity is much lower than in the last couple of years… crucial in timing and picking length. He looks in good space,” Ashwin added.
Kohli’s numbers underline that revival. In 12 ODIs this year, he has scored 586 runs at an average of 58.60 with three centuries. In this South Africa series alone, he has piled up 237 runs at a staggering average of 118.50 and a strike rate above 111 — putting him in pole position for Player of the Series.
Harbhajan Singh, meanwhile, took a sharper tone in defence of Kohli, hitting out at those who talk of “transition” and suggest moving beyond the veteran. “People are writing him off, saying new players should come in,” Harbhajan said. “You don’t have such a fit player among your newcomers. If you can point your finger at Virat Kohli and say there is no place for him, then brother — what are you doing?”
Harbhajan also lavished praise on Ruturaj Gaikwad, who struck a fluent 105 in the second ODI and stitched a record 195-run partnership with Kohli. “Ruturaj is brilliant. He arrived a bit late, did not get enough opportunities, but now he is not letting go. The way he changed gears after fifty — class,” Harbhajan said.
That partnership is now India’s highest for any wicket against South Africa in men’s ODIs, surpassing the 194-run stand between Sachin Tendulkar and Dinesh Karthik in 2010.
But even as the batting fired, bowling lapses cost India a match they should have defended. Harbhajan admitted as much. “I thought India should have scored 380. But even 358 should have been defended. We lagged behind in our bowling,” he said.
South Africa chased down the 359-run target with four balls to spare, powered by Aiden Markram’s 110, Matthew Breetzke’s 68 and Dewald Brevis’s quickfire 54. India’s attack, led by Arshdeep Singh (2/54), struggled in dewy conditions.
The bowling failure has only magnified Kohli’s contribution. While the match slipped away, his composed century — marked by crisp strokeplay and bursts of emotional celebration — became the talking point of the evening.
Ashwin said the celebrations reflect an athlete reclaiming ownership of his story. “He must be thinking: I will show them now. I have got it in me,” Ashwin noted.
Kohli’s return to white-ball dominance also comes after a shaky restart to international cricket following the Champions Trophy. He registered two consecutive ducks in Australia before striking an unbeaten 74 in Sydney and following it up with two successive centuries against South Africa.
The stage is now set for Saturday’s decider in Visakhapatnam — a venue where Kohli’s record borders on the extraordinary. In seven innings, he has scored 587 runs at an average of 97.83, including three hundreds and two fifties, with a best of 157*. With the series locked 1–1, India will look to their resurgent icon once again. And as Ashwin and Harbhajan both suggest, Virat Kohli appears in no mood to let anyone forget who he is — or why he still matters.
