Virat Kohli Dominates: Smashes 29-Ball Fifty in Vijay Hazare Match

Udaipur, Dec 25, 2025: Virat Kohli has been in great form this year and finished it on a high with a brilliant performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. On Friday, December 26, Kohli scored 77 runs off 61 balls against Gujarat at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, showing his strong hunger for runs.

Kohli came in to bat after Priyansh Arya was dismissed and started aggressively from the very beginning. He shifted gears quickly and scored runs with ease. Gujarat bowlers Arzan Nagwaswalla and Chintan Gaja found it hard to stop the experienced batter. Kohli built a solid partnership with Arpit Rana and reached his half-century in just 29 balls.

Kohli’s innings showed a clear change in his batting style. He is known for his classic shots, but this time he used reverse sweeps and played aggressive strokes. As per ESPNcricinfo, Kohli’s plan was to take control from the start instead of letting the bowlers dominate. This approach has been seen in his recent List A innings.

The Indian star now has six straight fifty-plus scores in List A cricket, once again proving why he is one of the best batters in the game.

Kohli has scored six consecutive fifty-plus knocks in List A cricket. Given below are Virat Kohli’s Recent Fifty-Plus Scores in List A Cricket:

• 74* vs Australia – ODI Final
• 135 vs South Africa – 1st ODI
• 102 vs South Africa – 2nd ODI
• 65* vs South Africa – 3rd ODI
• 131 vs Andhra Pradesh – Vijay Hazare Trophy
• 77 vs Gujarat – Vijay Hazare Trophy

In the opening match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Kohli smashed 131 runs against Andhra Pradesh and helped Delhi chase a target of 299 with ease. During this knock, he went past Sachin Tendulkar to become the fastest player to score 16,000 runs in men’s List A cricket. Kohli reached the milestone in just 330 innings, while Tendulkar took 391 innings.

Virat Kohli Proves He Is Far from Finished

After retiring from Test cricket in May 2025, Virat Kohli returned to international cricket to play ODIs. He had a tough start and was dismissed for two ducks in his first two matches against Australia. However, Kohli made a strong comeback and silenced his critics with consistent performances.

Earlier, India’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar said that both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were “non-committal” about the 2027 ODI World Cup. Still, both batters have shown their class and proved they are far from done. Kohli has followed the BCCI’s plans closely and continues to take on every challenge.

Against Gujarat, the 37-year-old hit 11 fours and one six and reached his fifty in just 29 balls. He was later stumped off left-arm spinner Vishal B Jayswal, with Urvil Patel completing the dismissal.

Kohli recently returned to the Vijay Hazare Trophy after 15 years and scored a brilliant 131 off 101 balls against Andhra Pradesh, helping Delhi win by four wickets. In that match, he also became the fastest batter to reach every 1,000-run mark in List A cricket from 10,000 runs onwards.

Like Rohit Sharma, Kohli has made a comeback to India’s top domestic 50-over tournament. Kohli last played the Vijay Hazare Trophy in the 2009–10 season, while Rohit last featured in the 2017–18 season. Both players, now retired from Tests and T20Is, remain strong contenders for the 2027 ODI World Cup.