Virat Kohli top-scored with 74 in 51 balls to help Team India beat New Zealand by 5 wickets in the first ODI at Eden Park in Auckland on Wednesday.
Published: November 4, 2026, 3:36 PM IST
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Virat Kohli en route to scoring 74 in 1st ODI vs New Zealand in Auckland on Wednesday(Source: X)
IND vs NZ 2026 1st ODI: A day short of his 38th birthday, Virat Kohli celebrated his arrival in New Zealand in style, smashing a match-winning 74 off 51 balls with 13 fours and one six to lift India to a five-wicket win in the rain-hit first ODI match against New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland on WednesdayOn an Eden Park pitch, where every other batter struggled to find rhythm, Kohli was in sublime form – hammering his 80th ODI fifty off only 35 balls to hunt down a DLS target of 143 in 32 overs will almost 10 overs to spare.
On the course of yet another match-winning knock, Kohli well and truly took away the title of ‘Chasemaster’ from Indian legend Sachin TendulkarKohli broke the record of Tendulkar of being the highest scorer in ODI run-chases and now has 8741 runs at an average of 66.21 with a strike-rate of 95.03While Tendulkar ended his ODI career with 8720 runs at an average of 42.33 with a strike-rate of 88.44.
WATCH Virat Kohli in action against New Zealand in the 1st ODI match HERE…
Chasing targets, setting standardsVirat Kohli makes it look all too effortless!
Watch the HERO VIDA India Tour of New Zealand 1st ODI, LIVE NOW on Sony Sports Network TV channels, Sony Vizha and Sony LIV.
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On course of this fifty, Kohli also became the only batter in the history of the game with an ODI average of over 50 in all SENA countriesHe has an average of 76.38 in South Africa, 51.48 in England, 51.53 in New Zealand and 50.03 in Australia.
(More to come)
