IND vs NZ, 1st ODI: Virat Kohli narrowly misses out on 54th ODI ton; Kiwi skipper's reaction goes viral

Indian stalwart Virat Kohli started 2026 with a near-perfect innings but narrowly missed out on his 54th ODI century, scoring 93 off 91 deliveries against New Zealand on Sunday (Jan 11) at Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara. Chasing a target of 301, Kohli walked in at No. 3 after Rohit Sharma’s dismissal in the ninth over and quickly took control of the innings. He put together a 118-run stand with skipper Shubman Gill for the second wicket, followed by a 77-run partnership with vice-captain Shreyas Iyer for the third. Kohli hit eight boundaries and one six before being dismissed by Bracewell in the 40th over. Despite missing out on the hundred, Virat has put India in the driver's seat as they need another 66 runs to clinch the first ODI.

India restricts New Zealand to 300

Meanwhile, after winning the toss and opting to field first, India managed to restrict New Zealand after the visitors got off to a strong start, with Henry Nicholls and Devon Conway putting together a 117-run opening stand. India fought back in the middle overs with disciplined bowling, but Daryl Mitchell steadied the innings before accelerating the scoring at the death. Mitchell eventually fell for 84, helping New Zealand post a total of 300/8. Among the bowlers, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna , and Harshit Rana picked up two wickets each, while left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav claimed one.

India lost three wickets in three overs

Chasing a target of 301, India started cautiously but lost Rohit Sharma early, with the score at 39 in nine overs. Kohli anchored the innings, putting together a solid century stand with Shubman Gill and a 77-run stand with Shreyas Iyer. However, after India lost Kohli for 93, wickets fell quickly, with Jadeja and Iyer also departing in quick succession, and India slipped from 234/3 to 242/5. At the time of writing, India were 251/5, needing another 50 runs from seven overs to seal the win.