India won a close and exciting match against New Zealand by four wickets in the first ODI of the three-match series at Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara on January 11, 2026.
New Zealand had set a strong target of 301 runs after scoring 300 for 8 in 50 overs. India successfully chased it by reaching 306 for 6 in 49 overs, finishing the game with six balls remaining. Virat Kohli played the biggest role in the chase with a superb 93 runs from 91 balls, hitting eight fours and one six. He missed his century by just seven runs but still produced a match-winning performance.
New Zealand started their innings confidently with Henry Nicholls and Devon Conway putting up a 117-run partnership for the first wicket. Both played steady knocks, with Nicholls scoring 62 and Conway making 56. Harshit Rana broke the partnership by dismissing both openers.
Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna also bowled well, taking two wickets each to stop New Zealand from running away with the game. Daryl Mitchell added important runs in the middle order, scoring a quick 84 off 71 balls, which helped New Zealand reach a competitive total despite losing momentum later in the innings.
India began their chase strongly with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill attacking early. Rohit hit his 650th international six, making history before getting out for 26 off 29 balls, caught by Michael Bracewell off Kyle Jamieson.
Gill continued to steady the innings with a well-made 56 off 71 balls. Together with Kohli, he built a 118-run partnership for the second wicket, taking India past 200 runs at a good pace. Kohli reached his fifty in just 44 balls and kept the scoreboard moving smoothly.
During his excellent innings, Kohli also created new records. He became the fastest batter to reach 28,000 international runs, achieving the milestone in 624 innings and beating Sachin Tendulkar’s record by 20 innings. He also passed Kumar Sangakkara to become the second-highest run-scorer in international cricket, only behind Tendulkar.
Kohli was finally dismissed for 93 in the 39th over when he tried to hit over mid-off against Jamieson. However, by then India were already in a strong position at 234 for 3. Shreyas Iyer batted aggressively for his 49 off 38 balls, hitting a series of boundaries including 6, 4, 4 in one over from Adithya Ashok. Gill had fallen earlier for 56, caught at extra cover.
India suffered a small collapse during the middle phase when Jamieson took four wickets for 41 runs, removing Iyer and Ravindra Jadeja as well. At one point, India still needed 56 runs from 48 balls, making the match tense again. KL Rahul then guided the chase calmly with an unbeaten 29 from 21 balls.
Harshit Rana supported him with a valuable 29 off 23 balls, which included a crucial six under pressure. Rahul finished the match with confident strokes in the second-last over, hitting a lap shot for four, another boundary through covers, and a big six to seal the win.
New Zealand’s bowlers tried hard, especially after the 34-over mark when the pitch slowed down under the new playing conditions. But India’s deep batting lineup managed to complete the chase. Virat Kohli was awarded Player of the Match for his outstanding performance. India now leads the series 1-0, and the second ODI on January 14 is expected to bring more exciting cricket.