India star batter Virat Kohli entered history books during the second ODI of the three-match series against New Zealand. He became the Indian player with the most runs scored against the Kiwis in the format. The 37-year-old needed just one run to surpass Sachin Tendulkar on the elite list and did so effortlessly by smacking a delivery on the first ball that he faced.
Virat dismissed cheaply in 2nd ODI
However, Virat failed to deliver in the match and got dismissed for just 23 runs by pacer Kristian Clarke. He wasn't able to continue his stellar form in the format and was sent back to the pavilion for a disappointing score. This was his 35th ODI innings against New Zealand and he has now scored a total of 1773 runs.
In comparison, Tendulkar played 41 innings against the Kiwis and scored 1750 runs, including five centuries and eight half-centuries. On the other hand, Virat has six hundreds and 10 fifties against the opposition.
Indians with the most runs against New Zealand in ODIs -
1. Virat Kohli - 1773 runs
2. Sachin Tendulkar - 1750 runs
3. Virender Sehwag - 1156 runs
4. Rohit Sharma - 1123 runs
5. Mohammad Azharuddin - 1118 runs
Virat not far behind from overall record
The overall record of scoring the most ODI runs against New Zealand is currently held by former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting. However, Virat isn't far behind and can eventually end up clinching that milestone as well. He currently stands second on the list.
Most runs against New Zealand in ODIs -
1. Ricky Ponting (Australia) - 1971 runs
2. Virat Kohli (India) - 1773 runs
3. Sachin Tendulkar (India) - 1750 runs
4. Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) - 1568 runs
5. Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) - 1519 runs
Meanwhile, Virat will now be looking to play a big knock in the third and final ODI against New Zealand that will be played on January 18. This will be the last one-day match that the Men in Blue will play for quite some time as the focus shifts to the 2026 T20 World Cup that will commence from February 7.