Virat Kohli’s 93 Powers India to ODI Win Over New Zealand

Kohli Leads India Through Jittery Chase

India took a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand after edging past the visitors by four wickets in a tense run chase at Vadodara. Virat Kohli played the defining role with a fluent 93, anchoring the innings before a late wobble tested the hosts.

Chasing 301, India looked comfortable for large parts of the innings before Kohli’s dismissal opened the door for New Zealand. The home side eventually crossed the line with an over to spare.

New Zealand Bowlers Keep Things Tight Early

New Zealand made early inroads by applying pressure through Kyle Jamieson and Zakary Foulkes. Runs were hard to come by until Rohit Sharma broke the shackles with a six, followed by another maximum and a boundary to shift momentum.

Rohit’s stay ended soon after as he mistimed a shot and was caught near mid off, bringing Kohli to the crease with India still needing consolidation.

Kohli and Gill Take Control

Kohli settled quickly and struck boundaries early to put pressure back on the bowlers. Shubman Gill initially played a supporting role before opening up with a six off Adithya Ashok.

The partnership grew in confidence and pushed India firmly ahead in the chase. Kohli and Gill both passed fifty, with Kohli also crossing 28000 international runs to move past Kumar Sangakkara into second place on the all-time run scorers list.

Collapse Sparks Late Drama

Even after Gill departed for 56, India appeared in control with Shreyas Iyer returning to the side and striking the ball cleanly. Ashok struggled to contain runs as Iyer found boundaries with ease.

However, Kohli’s dismissal for 93 turned the game. Jamieson struck twice in quick succession, removing Ravindra Jadeja and Iyer, leaving India suddenly under pressure at 242 for 5.

With Washington Sundar sidelined due to a back issue, Harshit Rana walked out at a critical moment and responded with positive intent, hitting key boundaries before falling for 29.

Rahul Finishes the Job

With tension building, KL Rahul held his nerve. After rotating the strike carefully, Rahul took charge in the penultimate over with successive boundaries before sealing the win with a six.

India reached 306 for 6 in 49 overs to secure a hard-fought victory.

New Zealand’s Innings Built Around Mitchell

Earlier, New Zealand posted 300 for 8 after a solid opening stand between Henry Nicholls and Devon Conway. Both batters brought up half-centuries and laid a strong platform.

India clawed back through disciplined bowling, with Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav striking at key moments. Daryl Mitchell anchored the latter half of the innings with an aggressive 84, ensuring New Zealand crossed the 300 mark.

Brief Scores

New Zealand 300/8 in 50 overs
Daryl Mitchell 84, Henry Nicholls 62
Mohammed Siraj 2/40

India 306/6 in 49 overs
Virat Kohli 93, Shubman Gill 56
Kyle Jamieson 4/41

India won by 4 wickets

Read more: Virat Kohli becomes fastest batter to score 28,000 runs in international cricket