Virat Kohli MOBBED on his arrival to THIS city before first ODI vs New Zealand, video goes viral

Virat Kohli was mobbed by a massive crowd of fans upon his arrival in Vadodara on Wednesday, January 7, ahead of the three-match ODI series against New Zealand.

Virat Kohli, Ind vs NZ, India vs New Zealand, ODI series, BCCI, Vijay Hazare Trophy, ODI series, Anushka Sharma, — Virat Kohli

New Delhi: Star India cricketer Virat Kohli was welcome by a massive crowd of fans upon his arrival in Vadodara on Wednesday, January 7, ahead of the three-match ODI series against New Zealand. The former India captain had earlier returned to Mumbai after celebrating New Year 2026 in Dubai with his family and close friends.

Scenes of chaos unfolded at the Vadodara airport as enthusiastic supporters chanted “Kohli, Kohli”, and tried to catch a glimpse of him, and raised their phones for selfies, prompting security personnel to intervene as he was escorted towards his car.

GRAND WELCOME OF VIRAT KOHLI BY FANS AT VADODARA 👑🔥 pic.twitter.com/ByatwW8HFH
— Virat Kohli Fan Club (@Trend_VKohli) January 7, 2026

Virat Kohli last played an ODI in Vadodara in 2010

Virat Kohli last played an ODI in Vadodara, 15 years back against New Zealand in 2010. The three matches ODI series will be played across Vadodara (January 11), Saurashtra (January 14), and Indore (January 18).

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Heading into the series, Kohli is in an impressive form after his brilliant performance in international and domestic cricket. He ended the previous year on a high, as he smashed a half-century in the final ODI in Australia, followed by two back-to-back centuries and a fifty in the three-match home series against South Africa. Kohli carried his momentum into domestic cricket, registering a century and a fifty for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Since moving away from T20Is and Tests, he has focused solely on ODIs, continuing to underline his status as one of the world’s premier batters.

Virat Kohli entered 2026 with his family and close friends in Dubai. He also shared a photo with his wife, Anushka Sharma, on Instagram, with the couple seen embracing and smiling brightly for the camera.

Upcoming series against New Zealand will be Kohli’s first international outing of 2026

Since moving retiring from T20Is and Tests, Kohli has fully focused on the ODI format and continues to underline his status as one of the game’s finest batters. The upcoming series against New Zealand will be his first international outing of 2026, and the veteran will be eager to carry forward his strong form from 2025, especially in home conditions where he has been consistently successful.