Virat Kohli breaks Sachin Tendulkar's all-time record for most runs in ODI run chases

Another match, another record broken. India’s veteran top-order batter Virat Kohli scored a 51-ball 74 in a rain-curtailed ODI series opener against England at Eden Park, Auckland, on November 4. En route to his match-winning knock in the run chase, he broke legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most runs in ODI run chases.

Before the ODI series opener, Kohli needed 54 more runs to reach the summit. With a 74-run knock, he now has 8,741 runs from 169 innings. Tendulkar has 8,720 runs from 232 innings.

Kohli also became the only batter to complete 13,000 ODI runs at no.3. 

Kohli equals Ponting’s ODI record vs New Zealand

Kohli has equalled former Australia captain Ricky Ponting's record for most runs (1,971 runs) against New Zealand in ODIs. In the second ODI of the five-ODI series, which is scheduled to be played on November 7 in Wellington, Kohli can go past Ponting and also become the first to score 2,000 ODI runs against the BlackCaps.

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Another Kohli fifty in successful ODI run chase

In the run chase of 186, Kohli had to walk out to bat in the second over. Veteran opener Rohit Sharma was dismissed for a six-ball duck by Kyle Jamieson, his first since the 2023 ODI World Cup. 

Kohli got off the mark in the third over with a boundary against Jamieson. He survived the new ball and then started playing his shots. In the 11th over, rain interrupted the run chase. Kohli was batting on 29 then. 

After the rain interruption, play could only resume for seven deliveries. The revised target was 143 from 32 overs. Kohli looked to finish the run chase in a hurry. In the 14th over, he smashed Blair Tickner for a six over mid-wicket. In the 16th over, he completed his half-century with a boundary. He took 35 balls to reach his 46th ODI fifty in run chases. Only Tendulkar has more (52 fifties) in ODI run chases. The 34-ball fifty is his second-fastest in away ODIs.

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Kohli hit two more boundaries in Tickner's fourth over. He was taken off the attack by captain Mitchell Santner. The second-wicket partnership came to an end in the 19th over. Nathan Smith got Gill's wicket with a short ball. The top edge ballooned up in the air and wicketkeeper Tom Latham completed a regulation catch. Gill scored 37 runs from 56 balls. He shared a 113-run partnership with Gill.

In the next over, Duffy struck twice. He dismissed his Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) teammate with a short ball. Kohli went for the pull shot but did not time it. He was caught by Tim Seifert at deep square leg. His knock of 74 from 51 balls was laced with 13 fours and a six. India needed 19 more runs when Kohli walked back to the dressing room. 

Duffy got Axar Patel out for a two-ball duck. Extra bounce troubled Axar and Glenn Phillips took a stunning catch at backward point. After 20 overs, India were way ahead of the DLS par score. Even if rain returned, India would've won by DLS method. 

In Duffy's next over, Shreyas Iyer hit a six before he was caught at short mid-wicket trying to play a pull shot. Iyer was dismissed for 13 off 15 balls. On the fourth ball of the next over, Naman Dhir finished the run chase with a boundary off Smith. India won the match by five wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

This was India's first ODI win on New Zealand soil in seven years. It is also the first time in 12 ODI series that New Zealand faced a defeat in the opening ODI of the series at home. 

Kohli takes a stunning catch

Kohli took a one-handed stunner at the second slip as Anshul Kamboj dismissed Nathan Smith in the 29th over. Kohli also took the catch of Kyle Jamieson off Arshdeep Singh's bowling in the 32nd over.

Arshdeep claimed a four-fer whereas Kamboj bagged a couple of wickets. Kamboj was adjudged 'Player of the match' for taking two wickets for 22 runs in his quota of 10 overs. He bowled two maiden overs as well. This was the second ODI of Kamboj's career.

Skipper lauds Kohli

Gill lauded Kohli for making the run chase easy for the visitors despite rain interruptions. 

“I mean it's never easy when you are set and then it rains and the wicket got a little bit quick, it got a little bit more nippy after the rain. So the target reduced. So we were just trying to play our normal cricket. And I think the way Virat bhai batted, it made things a lot more easy for us,” Gill said in the post-match presentation.

Despite the defeat, Santner was happy with New Zealand bowlers' comeback. From 114/1, India lost five wickets for 136. 

"It was easy for us to kind of roll over there after the start they got. So credit to the fast bowlers to keep backing it up. So yeah, I think we found some good stuff at the end of the game there and we can kind of go on to Wellington," Santner said. 

Duffy bagged three wickets for 49 runs in seven overs. Jamieson was economical in seven overs, going for 34 runs, and took one wicket with the new ball. Smith went for 21 runs from 4.4 overs and took one wicket. Tickner was the only pacer who did not take a wicket. He conceded 38 runs from four overs. Santner opted not to bowl a single over.

Kohli targets another Tendulkar record in New Zealand

Kohli needs 12 more runs in the second ODI of the series to complete 600 runs against the Kiwis in New Zealand. He will end up surpassing former opener Virender Sehwag. If he scores 63 runs in the next ODI, he will break the record for most ODI runs by an Indian batter against the Black Caps in New Zealand.