NEW DELHI: Vintage Virat Kohli didn’t just silence the chatter around his ODI future in Ranchi — he peeled back the curtain on the mental space that now drives his greatness. After hammering a stunning 135 off 120 balls to lift India to a 17-run win over South Africa in the series opener, Kohli spoke with striking clarity about where he stands mentally at this stage of his storied career.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!His 52nd ODI century — which extended his record for most hundreds in a single format — was a showcase of control, composure and calculated aggression. But it was his self-reflection afterward, shared on the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) official X handle, that offered the biggest insight into the fuel behind his performance.

“For me, the core word is awareness,” Kohli said, describing the mental phase he is in right now. “Being aware of situations, being aware of your own feelings and thoughts when you succeed and when you fail… so that you try to be in the most central spot.”Kohli emphasised that reaching this level of mental balance has been years in the making.“I have put in a considerable amount of work over the years. I would say that yes, I am in that place now. I’m still looking to get better every day of my life. That’s where I am.”Kohli’s innings was the backbone of India’s 349/8, built on a 136-run partnership with Rohit Sharma (57), followed by crucial stands with KL Rahul (60) and Ravindra Jadeja (32). His mastery allowed India to recover from middle-order stumbles and post a winning total.South Africa’s chase produced its own drama — falling to 11/3, reviving through Matthew Breetzke and Marco Jansen, then threatening a heist through Corbin Bosch — but Harshit Rana’s early strikes and Kuldeep Yadav’s timely breakthroughs ensured India stayed ahead by 17 runs.