WATCH: Ocean of fans surround Virat Kohli at Vadodara airport on his arrival

Star India batter Virat Kohli was greeted by an ocean of fans as he arrived in Vadodara on Wednesday, January 7, ahead of the three-match ODI series against New Zealand. Earlier, the Delhi-born cricketer had landed in Mumbai after ringing in the New Year 2026 in Dubai with his family and close friends. Chaos broke out at the Vadodara airport as excited supporters chanted his name and tried to get a glimpse of the former India captain. Fans raised their phones for selfies, and security had to step in as Kohli made his way to his vehicle.

The first ODI in Vadodara also carries a touch of nostalgia for Kohli. The last time he played an ODI at the venue was back in 2010, coincidentally against New Zealand. On December 4 that year, a young Kohli scored an unbeaten 63 as India chased down the target comfortably. Gautam Gambhir, now India’s head coach, starred with an unbeaten 126 to claim the Player of the Match award, with the pair adding 114 runs for the second wicket.

Kohli’s return to the stadium will surely remind fans of those thrilling moments. Coming into the series, Kohli is in red-hot form. He finished the previous year with a strong run in international and domestic cricket. After hitting a half-century in the final ODI in Australia, he followed it up with two consecutive centuries and a fifty in the three-match home series against South Africa. His form continued in domestic cricket, scoring a century and a fifty for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Since stepping away from T20Is and Tests, Kohli has focused on ODIs and continues to show why he is regarded as one of the best batters in the world.

The upcoming series against New Zealand will be Kohli’s first international assignment of 2026.