Virat Kohli scores 74 as India beats New Zealand by five wickets in first ODI
Kohli's 51-ball innings, including his 80th ODI fifty, guides India to a revised target of 143 at Eden Park, taking a 1-0 series lead.
Auckland2 min read
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Virat Kohli scored 74 off 51 balls to lead India to a five-wicket victory over New Zealand in the rain-affected first one-day international at Eden Park in Auckland on 4 November 2026.
India chased a Duckworth-Lewis-Stern revised target of 143 in 22.4 overs after New Zealand was bowled out for 185 in 40.2 overs. Kohli reached his 80th ODI half-century off 35 deliveries and finished with 13 fours and one six. He and captain Shubman Gill added 113 runs for the second wicket after Rohit Sharma was dismissed for a duck in the first over. Gill made 37. Kohli was eventually caught off Jacob Duffy.
The performance came a day before Kohli's 38th birthday. During New Zealand's innings, spectators near the boundary sang “Happy Birthday” to him. He also took a diving one-handed catch in the slips to dismiss Nathan Smith. With the win, India leads the five-match series 1-0. Kohli moved past Sachin Tendulkar as the highest run-scorer in ODI run chases.
New Zealand's total of 185 was restricted by India's pace attack. Arshdeep Singh took 4 for 70 and Gurnoor Brar 3 for 44. Anshul Kamboj claimed 2 for 22 from 10 overs and was named player of the match. Tim Seifert top-scored for the hosts with 38. Two rain interruptions during India's chase reduced the contest and revised the target under the DLS method.
Captain Gill said the bowling performance was strong and described the overall result as a good team effort. New Zealand had posted a higher total in a recent T20 match but struggled against the short-pitched bowling on the Eden Park surface. The series continues with further ODIs to follow.
Kohli's innings combined timing on a bouncy pitch with aggressive pulls and hooks against the short ball. His strike rate of roughly 145 reflected control through the stoppages and the subsequent mini-collapse after his dismissal. KL Rahul and Naman Dhir finished the chase with 56 balls remaining.
The result underlines the continued effectiveness of India's pace options and Kohli's ability to accelerate in limited-overs chases even at this stage of his career. For New Zealand, the batting collapse against short-pitched deliveries presents a clear area for adjustment before the next match.
India's 1-0 lead sets the tone for the series. Both sides will now prepare for the remaining fixtures with the knowledge that rain and DLS calculations can alter targets quickly on this tour.
