Virat Kohli Shows Fierce Intensity in Nets, Rishabh Pant Reacts Ahead of ODI

Virat Kohli is already in beast mode ahead of Sunday’s first ODI against South Africa, and Rishabh Pant simply couldn’t contain his excitement. A video from India’s nets session on Friday has gone viral, showing Kohli absolutely smoking the bowlers with ferocious drives, pulls, and lofts that flew off the middle of the bat like missiles. Standing at the non-striker’s end, Pant turned into every Indian fan watching at home—wide-eyed, grinning ear-to-ear, and yelling “Tagda maar diya!” (That’s a massive hit!) after one particularly brutal straight drive rocketed into the sightscreen.

Kohli, who reached Ranchi early with Captain Rohit Sharma to get extra batting time, looked in ominous touch—timing pristine, footwork sharp, and intent sky-high. The 37-year-old has been working overtime on his white-ball game after a quiet 2025 so far, and the intensity on display has sent a clear message: he’s ready to dominate the 50-over format again.

Also Read: Shaheen Afridi Leads Pakistan to 1–0 Series Lead, Calls Maiden ODI Win “Nothing Special”

Rohit, fresh off a Player-of-the-Series performance in the recent Australia ODIs, was equally ruthless in the nets, hammering spinners and pacers alike as India fine-tuned their combination under stand-in skipper KL Rahul.

With Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer injured, the Ranchi ODI is set to be a Virat-Rohit show at the top and middle order, and if Friday’s session is anything to go by, South Africa’s bowlers are in for a torrid time. Pant’s reaction summed it up best—when even your teammates are left speechless, you know the King is back in the zone.

Also Read: Jadeja Calls Potential Draw In South Africa Test A “Win-Win” For India