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

Virat Kohli scored 74 off 51 balls and took a diving slips catch as India beat New Zealand by five wickets in the first one-day international in Auckland on 4 November 2026. Rain reduced India’s target to 143 under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method. India reached the total in 22.4 overs with 56 balls remaining.

New Zealand won the toss and batted first but were dismissed for 185 in 40.2 overs. Tim Seifert top-scored with 38 in his first ODI in more than 18 months, replacing the concussed Devon Conway. Arshdeep Singh took 4 for 70 and Gurnoor Brar 3 for 44. The pair accounted for seven wickets as New Zealand’s top order struggled against short-pitched bowling. Anshul Kamboj, in his second ODI, took two wickets for 22 runs from 10 overs and was named player of the match.

India’s reply was interrupted by rain. Kohli, a day before his 38th birthday, played pulls and drives on the up. He reached his 80th ODI half-century before holing out to deep square leg off Jacob Duffy. He left the field waving his bat to the Indian supporters who formed the majority of the Eden Park crowd. Shubman Gill scored 37. Duffy finished with 3 for 49.

Kohli also produced a one-handed diving catch at second slip to dismiss Nathan Smith for one off Kamboj. Rohit Sharma took a diving run-out of Daryl Mitchell. India’s fielding and bowling were described by Gill as the basis of a complete team performance. New Zealand had scored 259 for seven in a T20 match only five days earlier; the ODI collapse came against a fuller length and more consistent short-ball plan.

The match was the opening fixture of India’s tour. The result gives India a 1-0 lead in the series. The revised target of 143 and the early finish meant India needed fewer than 10 overs to spare once the DLS calculation was applied. Kohli’s strike rate of roughly 145 during his innings kept the required rate under control despite the interruptions.

Eden Park has historically favoured the side batting second in limited-overs matches because of its short boundaries and true pitch. The repeated rain showers changed the calculation. New Zealand’s total of 185 would have been more competitive in a full 50-over game; under the reduced allocation it proved insufficient. India’s bowlers exploited the conditions by bowling short and extracting lift, particularly in the first half of the New Zealand innings.

Seifert’s 38 was the highest individual score for the hosts. The rest of the New Zealand batting order failed to build partnerships once the top order was removed. Arshdeep and Gurnoor shared the new ball and maintained pressure with short-pitched deliveries that the batters either edged or failed to control. Kamboj’s economy rate of 2.2 runs per over in his 10 overs restricted the middle order.

For India the win provides early momentum on the tour. Kohli’s form with both bat and in the field is notable given his age and the volume of international cricket he has already played. His 74 came at a strike rate that suited the revised target and the interruptions. Gill, as captain, credited the bowling unit and the overall team effort rather than any single contribution.

The next matches in the series will be played without the same weather constraints if conditions improve. New Zealand will look to address the vulnerability to short bowling that was exposed in the first ODI. India will aim to maintain the bowling discipline and the fielding standards that produced the five-wicket margin. The result stands as a clear outcome under the DLS method after both the New Zealand collapse and Kohli’s rapid innings.

Attendance at Eden Park was dominated by Indian supporters, a pattern seen in recent limited-overs fixtures between the sides in New Zealand. Kohli acknowledged them as he walked off. The match itself lasted fewer than the full allocation of overs for India because of the rain and the pace of the chase. For both teams the immediate task is preparation for the second ODI, with the series lead already in India’s favour.