Kohli Scores 74 as India Beat New Zealand by Five Wickets in Rain-Hit ODI

India defeated New Zealand by five wickets under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method in the first ODI of the series at Eden Park in Auckland on 4 November 2026. Virat Kohli scored 74 off 51 balls, his 80th ODI half-century, as India chased a revised target of 143 in 32 overs.

New Zealand were bowled out for 185 in 40.2 overs after India won the toss and fielded. Arshdeep Singh took 4 for 70 and Gurnoor Brar 3 for 44. Tim Seifert top-scored with 38. Anshul Kamboj returned 2 for 22 and was named player of the match. Kohli took a diving one-handed catch at slip to dismiss Nathan Smith.

Kohli and Shubman Gill added 113 for the second wicket after Rohit Sharma was dismissed for a duck. Kohli reached fifty in 35 balls with 13 fours and one six at a strike rate of 145. He was dismissed by Jacob Duffy, who also removed Axar Patel and Shreyas Iyer. KL Rahul and Naman Dhir finished the chase in 22.4 overs with 56 balls remaining.

Rain interrupted the Indian innings twice, revising the target from 186. Kohli’s innings came a day before his 38th birthday. Fans sang Happy Birthday to him while he fielded near the boundary during New Zealand’s innings. He also moved past Sachin Tendulkar as the highest run-scorer in ODI chases.

India’s seamers used short-pitched bowling effectively on the bouncy surface. Fielding supported the attack, including Rohit Sharma’s diving run-out of Daryl Mitchell. Captain Shubman Gill said the bowling and overall team performance were strong.

The match gives India a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. New Zealand lost the toss and struggled against the pace attack after scoring 259 for seven in a recent T20. Seifert opened in place of the concussed Devon Conway and played his first ODI in more than 18 months.

Kohli’s 74 included drives and pulls that kept the required rate under control despite the interruptions. His dismissal left India needing a few more runs, which the lower order completed without further loss of momentum. The DLS calculation set a manageable target that India reached with substantial overs in hand.

Kamboj’s figures of 2 for 22 in 10 overs included the key wicket of Smith via Kohli’s catch. Arshdeep and Brar broke the top order early. New Zealand’s total of 185 proved insufficient once the revised target was set.

The series continues with the second ODI later in the week. India take the early advantage on the back of Kohli’s contribution and the seam attack’s control. Final series standings will depend on the remaining four matches.