Virat Kohli Misses Century but Helps India Win 1st ODI Against New Zealand

January 11, 2026: Virat Kohli once again proved why he is the backbone of Indian cricket. As long as he stayed at the crease, India looked in control of the chase. Kohli scored a crucial 93 runs, guiding India close to the target, though his dismissal did bring a brief moment of concern. KL Rahul then played the finisher’s role calmly, while Harshit Rana chipped in with important runs to ease the pressure. Chasing a target of 300, India secured a comfortable four-wicket victory and took a 1–0 lead in the three-match ODI series.

India’s toss luck did not go their way, but the conditions in Baroda supported the decision to bowl first. New Zealand started strongly, raising questions over India’s team selection, including the decision to leave out Arshdeep Singh. Openers Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls put on a solid partnership, crossing the 100-run mark inside 20 overs. Harshit Rana provided the first breakthrough, dismissing Nicholls for 62 with a well-directed delivery outside the off stump, followed soon by Conway’s dismissal for 56.

Mohammed Siraj then added to the pressure by removing Will Young and Zachary Foakes. Despite regular wickets, Daryl Mitchell kept the scoreboard moving with a composed innings. Prasidh Krishna eventually dismissed Mitchell for 84, slowing New Zealand’s momentum. The visitors were finally bowled out for 300, a total that India managed to chase down with confidence.

India Clinch Four-Wicket Win in Baroda

There was no major threat on the Baroda pitch, and the presence of dew made conditions difficult for the New Zealand bowlers, which worked in India’s favour. Even reliable fielders like Glenn Phillips and Daryl Mitchell found it tough, though Phillips did manage to take the catch of Shubman Gill, who scored 56. The Indian captain reached his half-century but did not look completely at ease. Rohit Sharma, one of the key batters to watch, failed to convert his start and was dismissed for 26. As usual, Virat Kohli anchored the innings, adding another milestone to his career. While he broke a Sachin Tendulkar record by crossing 28,000 international runs across formats, he fell short of becoming the highest ODI run-scorer against New Zealand.

Kohli Anchors, Rahul Finishes

Kohli’s presence at the crease brought calm, but his dismissal for 93, just seven runs short of a century, briefly unsettled India. Soon after, Shreyas Iyer and Ravindra Jadeja were dismissed, raising concerns. Jadeja, returning from injury, managed only a modest contribution. New Zealand bowlers, led by Kyle Jamieson’s pace and bounce along with Zachary Foulkes’ medium pace, applied pressure. Questions were raised over team decisions, including Jadeja being sent ahead of KL Rahul. However, Harshit Rana, promoted due to Washington Sundar’s injury, played a crucial cameo of 29 off 23 balls. Sundar later returned despite the injury, and Rahul once again proved his value as a dependable finisher, calmly steering India to victory with a six and two boundaries late in the chase.

Match Summary

• New Zealand: 300/8 (Darryl 84, Siraj 40/2, Harshit 65/2)
• India: 306/6 (Kohli 93, Gill 56, Jamieson 41/4)
• India won by 4 wickets.
• India lead the three-match ODI series 1-0.