India pulled off a close win against New Zealand in the first ODI at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara, winning by four wickets to take a 1–0 lead in the three-match series. The chase was built around a composed knock from Virat Kohli, while KL Rahul kept his cool at the end to see India home with a six.
India’s chase
Chasing 301, India started steadily with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill at the top. Rohit looked in good touch but was dismissed for 26, while Gill continued to bat confidently and raised a solid half-century. Virat Kohli then took charge, batting with control and picking gaps to keep the chase on track.
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After scoring back-to-back centuries against South Africa in the previous series, Kohli once again looked set for a hundred but fell just short on 93. New Zealand pacer Kyle Jamieson had an impressive outing, removing Kohli as well as Shreyas Iyer, who made a brisk 49, and Ravindra Jadeja. Those wickets led to a brief middle-order wobble that brought New Zealand back into the contest.
With the pressure rising, KL Rahul played a calm and sensible innings, choosing his shots carefully. He found good support from Washington Sundar, who stayed unbeaten, while Harshit Rana added a valuable 29. Rahul finished the match in style with a six as India crossed the target.
Jamieson was New Zealand’s best bowler, finishing with four wickets, but India held their nerve in the final overs to seal the win.
Kohli goes past Sangakkara
Virat Kohli also achieved a major personal milestone during the match, becoming the fastest batter to reach 28,000 international runs across formats. He reached the landmark in his 624th innings by hitting a boundary off leg-spinner Adithya Ashok.
Sachin Tendulkar had reached the same mark in 644 innings, while Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara did so in 666 innings. Kohli began the match with 27,975 international runs. Tendulkar remains the leading run-scorer with 34,357 runs, while Sangakkara finished with 28,016.
New Zealand innings
Daryl Mitchell played a key role in helping New Zealand post 300 for 8 after they were sent in to bat. Coming in during a tricky phase, Mitchell scored a well-paced 84 off 71 balls, hitting five fours and three sixes to steady the innings after a middle-order collapse.
New Zealand got off to a strong start through openers Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls, who added 117 runs for the first wicket. Conway scored 56, while Nicholls made 62 as the pair batted confidently and rotated the strike well in the early overs.
The turning point came when Harshit Rana returned for his second spell. He first dismissed Nicholls with a slower delivery that induced an edge, and then bowled Conway with another clever variation. Rana’s spell helped India claw their way back as New Zealand slipped from 117 without loss to 198 for five.
Mitchell then rebuilt the innings with small but important partnerships, while debutant Kristian Clarke added quick runs at the end with an unbeaten 24. Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna picked up key wickets, while Kuldeep Yadav and a sharp direct hit from Shreyas Iyer added to New Zealand’s troubles.