Vadodara, January 11 — The roar from the stands said it all. One minute, placard-waving kids dreamed of Kohli’s hundred. The next, stunned silence. Virat Kohli fell for 93, caught at mid-off attempting an ambitious charge against Jamieson when victory seemed wrapped up.
What followed tested nerves. Kyle Jamieson struck three times in seven balls, dismissing Kohli, Jadeja and Iyer to flip the script entirely. Suddenly India, cruising moments earlier, needed 59 from 53 with Washington Sundar hobbling between wickets.
But Harshit Rana had other plans. The lower-order bat smashed 29 off 23, surviving a sitter dropped by Daryl Mitchell on the midwicket rope. KL Rahul stayed ice-cool throughout, and when nine runs remained off nine balls, he launched one toward deep midwicket for six. Game over. India won by four wickets with six balls remaining, reaching 306 for 6 in the 49th over.
New Zealand’s Fightback
New Zealand posted 300 for 8 after being sent in, with Daryl Mitchell’s 84 the standout knock. Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls both registered fifties during a 117-run opening stand that set the platform. India’s seamers found their rhythm in patches. Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna shared six wickets between them, but couldn’t prevent the visitors from reaching the psychological 300 mark on the final delivery of the innings.
The Chase That Nearly Wasn’t
Rohit Sharma fell early for 26, caught trying to go big off Jamieson. No problem. Shubman Gill made 56 and Kohli walked in looking utterly unstoppable. His footwork sharp, timing crisp, intent clear from ball one. The Vadodara crowd barely sat down.
Kohli brought up his fifty to massive cheers. Shreyas Iyer contributed 49 in his first international appearance since October 2025 following injury. The third-wicket pair added 77 from 75 balls, making it look ridiculously easy. Then came the collapse. Jamieson’s cross-seam deliveries misbehaved off Vadodara’s black-soil surface just enough to punish half-hearted shots. Kohli gone. Jadeja softly chipping to mid-on for 4. Iyer undone while set. Three wickets, seven balls. Chaos. Five wickets down. Washington nursing a side strain. Young Rana walked out with pressure mounting and boundaries essential. He attacked from the start, dominating a 37-run stand with Rahul before falling with 22 needed off 22.
The Bigger Picture
This marked the first men’s ODI at Kotambi Stadium—previously only women’s internationals had been played here. The venue got quite the christening. For India, the win extends their extraordinary home record against New Zealand in bilateral ODI series. The visitors haven’t won one on Indian soil since October 2017, and that drought continues.
Jamieson’s figures of 4 for 41 from 10 overs proved his quality, turning a straightforward chase into genuine jeopardy. His height and ability to extract extra bounce troubled every Indian batter he faced.
What’s Next in Upcoming IND vs NZ 2nd T20 Match
The second ODI shifts to another venue as India look to seal the series 2-0. New Zealand will take heart from how close they came despite an inexperienced, injury-hit attack. Mitchell’s form with the bat offers hope, and if Jamieson bowls like this again, they’ll fancy their chances.
India, meanwhile, will be relieved more than anything. Chasing 300-plus should never have been this tight with Kohli in that kind of form.
Player of the Match: Virat Kohli (93 off 91 balls)
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Most Times Five or More Consecutive 50+ Scores in ODIs
Virat Kohli* achieved this feat on 5 occasions
Quinton de Kock reached this mark 2 times
Kane Williamson has done it 2 times
Babar Azam also achieved it on 2 occasions