Virat Kohli once again underlined his enduring class with a masterful knock in the opening One Day International against New Zealand, guiding India to a four-wicket victory and a 1–0 lead in the three-match series.
The former India captain struck a fluent 93 off 91 balls as India successfully chased a target of 301. Kohli’s innings was marked by his trademark cover and straight drives, as he settled in quickly and anchored the chase with authority and composure.
Historic milestones in landmark knock
During the course of his innings, Virat Kohli achieved two significant milestones. He became the fastest player in history to reach 28,000 international runs across formats and also moved into second place on the list of highest run-scorers in international cricket, overtaking Ricky Ponting and trailing only Sachin Tendulkar.
Kohli, who has already retired from T20 Internationals and Test cricket, looked well set for a record-extending 54th ODI century but fell agonisingly short, caught at mid-off for 93 by a tall New Zealand bowler.
Pre-batting routine captures attention
Adding to the buzz around Kohli’s performance was a fan-shot video that has gone viral on social media. The clip shows Kohli padding up moments after Rohit Sharma’s dismissal, spraying perfume, applying lotion on his hands, grabbing a quick bite, slipping on his gloves and walking out to bat — all within seconds. The video has drawn widespread admiration for the star batter’s calm and routine-driven approach.
Praise from opposition
New Zealand all-rounder Kyle Jamieson, who has played alongside Kohli at Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL, praised his consistency. “He’s been operating at a different level for a long time,” Jamieson said, adding that it is difficult to judge whether this is Kohli’s peak because of his sustained excellence.
The second ODI will be played on Wednesday at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot.