IND vs NZ ODIs: Virat Kohli Stars As India Take 1-0 Lead

IND vs NZ: India began this three-match series against New Zealand with a thrilling four-wicket victory in Vadodara, chasing a difficult target of 301 runs. While the earning of runs seemed quite easy to the Indian duo, there were last-over tensions before reaching the finish line with one over left to spare.

Virat Kohli’s Masterclass Anchors India’s Chase

Virat Kohli continued his magical performance in the 50-over game with a composed and commanding performance of 93 runs that proved to be the turning point for the win for the Indians. His performance not only stabilised the chasing batting effort but also cemented his position in the history books of the sport.

Kohli surpassed 28,000 international runs
Overtook Kumar Sangakkara to become the second-highest run-scorer across formats
Fell just seven runs short of his 54th ODI century

Kohli’s dismissal briefly opened the door for New Zealand, triggering a mini-collapse that added late drama to the contest.

India’s Batting Highlights

Rohit Sharma got the proceedings underway with two massive sixes, although he was out mid-off.
Shubman Gill scored an elegant 56 with his confidence level increasing with every ball he played
Shreyas Iyer was looking in impressive form, hitting the spinners hard before being given out during the collapse.
Harshit Rana impressed with a fearless cameo of 29, hitting vital boundaries in pressure situations
KL Rahul showed some nerve towards the end by taking back-to-back boundaries, along with a winning six.

Though they lacked the stability of fully fit Washington Sundar, bit he stood strong till the end of the chase and India won.

New Zealand Bowlers Keep the Contest Alive

The New Zealand bowlers took frequent wickets, especially in the middle order:

Kyle Jamieson bowled impressively with 4/41.
Close-range spells by Zakary Foulkes and his inswingers ensured that India could not win the match easily

However, the foreigners couldn’t hold back India’s large batting order.

New Zealand’s Innings: Solid Start, Strong Finish

New Zealand posted a competitive 300/8, built on strong contributions from the top order.

Key Performers for New Zealand

Henry Nicholls – 62

Devon Conway – 56

The duo added a century opening partnership, laying a solid foundation

Daryl Mitchell – 84: Played a counter-attacking knock in the death overs to push NZ past 300

India’s bowlers clawed back effectively in the middle overs:

Mohammed Siraj -2/40

Key wickets from Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, and Prasidh Krishna halted New Zealand’s momentum

Turning Point of the Match – IND vs NZ

However, there was a drastic turn in the match after the dismissal of Kohli, as Jamieson struck twice in succession. But Harshit Rana’s brave hitting and KL Rahul’s composed finishing ensured that India were in a commanding position.