Virat Kohli scores 74 as India beats New Zealand by five wickets in rain-hit ODI

Virat Kohli scored 74 off 51 balls to lead India to a five-wicket win over New Zealand in the first one-day international at Eden Park in Auckland on Wednesday.

Rain reduced the match to 32 overs. India chased a revised target of 143 under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method and reached it in 22.4 overs with 56 balls remaining. New Zealand had earlier been bowled out for 185 in 40.2 overs. The result gives India a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Kohli, who turns 38 on Thursday, reached his 80th ODI fifty off 35 deliveries. He struck 13 fours and one six at a strike rate of 145.

India won the toss and fielded. Arshdeep Singh took 4 for 70 and Gurnoor Brar 3 for 44. Anshul Kamboj claimed 2 for 22 and was named man of the match. New Zealand’s top order struggled against short-pitched bowling. Tim Seifert top-scored with 38. Rohit Sharma fell for a duck in the first over of the chase. Kohli and captain Shubman Gill then added 113 runs for the second wicket. Gill made 37. Two rain interruptions forced further target revisions. Kohli continued after the second stoppage and was eventually caught at deep square leg off Jacob Duffy.

Kohli also became the highest run-scorer in ODI run chases, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s 8,720. He has now scored 13,000 ODI runs while batting at number three. Fans in the stands sang Happy Birthday while he fielded near the boundary during New Zealand’s innings. Duffy finished with three wickets. KL Rahul and Naman Dhir completed the chase after a brief late collapse.

The match followed a T20 series in which New Zealand scored heavily. India’s pace attack used the conditions at Eden Park effectively. Gill said the bowling performance set up the win. The series continues with the second ODI later this week. Kohli’s contribution on the eve of his birthday reinforces his role in limited-overs cricket at a stage when many players of his generation have stepped back.