India cruised to a narrow victory over South Africa in the opening game of their one-day international series, with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma leading from the front. After being asked to bat, India posted 349-8, thanks largely to Kohli's record-extending 52nd ODI century, which came off 120 balls.
Kohli shared 136 runs with his opening partner Rohit, who hit a crucial half-century of 57 off just 51 deliveries. The former captain then continued to dominate the middle overs, sharing 76 with stand-in captain KL Rahul before departing for 60 off 56 balls.
South Africa struggled in response, losing wickets at regular intervals and eventually crashing to an all-out total of 332 runs. Breetzke and Jansen both contributed half-centuries, but ultimately it was not enough to challenge India's total.
What proved decisive, however, was Rohit Sharma's outstanding performance with the bat. The India captain broke the record for most sixes hit in men's one-day internationals, surpassing Shahid Afridi's 15-year-old mark of 351 maximums. His three sixes to overtake the landmark came at a crucial juncture in the match, leaving India on firm ground.
With India 161-2 in the 22nd over when Rohit departed for his half-century, the team rode out the remaining overs and secured victory by 17 runs, putting them firmly ahead of their South African rivals.
Kohli shared 136 runs with his opening partner Rohit, who hit a crucial half-century of 57 off just 51 deliveries. The former captain then continued to dominate the middle overs, sharing 76 with stand-in captain KL Rahul before departing for 60 off 56 balls.
South Africa struggled in response, losing wickets at regular intervals and eventually crashing to an all-out total of 332 runs. Breetzke and Jansen both contributed half-centuries, but ultimately it was not enough to challenge India's total.
What proved decisive, however, was Rohit Sharma's outstanding performance with the bat. The India captain broke the record for most sixes hit in men's one-day internationals, surpassing Shahid Afridi's 15-year-old mark of 351 maximums. His three sixes to overtake the landmark came at a crucial juncture in the match, leaving India on firm ground.
With India 161-2 in the 22nd over when Rohit departed for his half-century, the team rode out the remaining overs and secured victory by 17 runs, putting them firmly ahead of their South African rivals.
The way Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma batted together was pure magic! 
They're like two peas in a pod, that one 
. India's 349/8 was a solid total, but it was Rohit who stole the show 
with those three crucial sixes. The man's got game 
! I'm loving the way India's team is gelling together 
. They've got the skills & talent to take on anyone in the world 
️. Can't wait for the rest of the series to see what they're made of 
. Maybe we'll even see some records broken 
!
. Those sixes Rohit hit were nothing short of ridiculous! I mean, who needs that many sixes in a one-day match? It's just a bunch of showboating to me. And let's be real, his record is gonna break eventually and he'll be the first one to complain about how it ruined the game 
. What really matters is the team's strategy and overall performance, not some flashy individual stats. And what's up with these teams not having a proper pitch condition policy? It's always a crapshoot whether the ball will swing or turn... ugh 
. Can't we just have a decent, straightforward game of cricket for once?
, he was so slow on his feet back then lol now look at him smashing it out of the park like that! rohit sharma's performance was insane btw, 351 sixes? that's just ridiculous! what's next, will he break sachin's record too? and south africa, they were playing so safe, couldn't even take risks 
. anyway, india's victory is a big one for them, and i'm loving the fact that rohit broke that sixes record 
and KL Rahul was a great support from the other end. But let's be real, without Rohit's fireworks, India might not have gotten that crucial win 
South Africa just couldn't keep up with him.
those sixes he hit were insane! i'm still trying to wrap my head around how he broke that record 
i mean, 351 maxims is no joke and now he's taken it over 
they worked together really well and took advantage of south africa's struggles 
!
and Kohli's century was awesome too, 120 balls to score 52 runs, what a record! 
India seems like the team to beat in this series so far...
. i mean, 351 sixes isn't gonna change the game or anything. it's still cricket, fam 
. and can we talk about how predictable this match was from the start? india always seems to find a way to win against south africa 
.
his record-breaking sixes were insane! i was literally watching the match with my friends and we were all screaming when he hit that 3rd six to break the record 
. And that record-breaking six-hit display? Mind-blowing 
. India's got a real chance at this series now! 
India's on fire this season! 
And what a game, Kohli's 52nd ODI century was insane 
.