IND Beat NZ by 4 Wickets in 1st ODI – Kohli’s 93 Powers Chase

India kicked off 2026 with a thrilling victory in the first ODI against New Zealand at Vadodara’s BCA Stadium, Kotambi. Chasing 301, the Men in Blue won by 4 wickets with 6 balls remaining to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Virat Kohli starred with a fluent 93 off 91 balls (8 fours, 1 six), anchoring the chase before falling short of another century. Captain Shubman Gill added 56, Shreyas Iyer 49, and lower-order cameos from Harshit Rana (29 off 23) and KL Rahul (29* off 21) sealed it under dew-heavy conditions.

New Zealand posted 300/8 after Gill won the toss and opted to field. Daryl Mitchell top-scored with 84, Henry Nicholls 62, Devon Conway 56. Harshit Rana (2-65) and Mohammed Siraj (2-40) starred with the ball for India.

Key Moments in the Chase

India started steadily with Rohit Sharma (26) and Gill building a platform. Kohli joined after early loss and dominated with high-intent batting—his 74-run stand with Gill set the tone.

A mid-innings wobble came when Kyle Jamieson struck thrice in quick succession: Kohli caught at backward point, Ravindra Jadeja and Shreyas Iyer dismissed cheaply. India needed 59 off 53 at one stage.

Rana’s aggressive 29 off 23 (including boundaries off debutant Clarke) shifted momentum. Rahul stayed calm, finishing with 4, 4, 6 off Clarke in the penultimate over.

NZ Innings & Bowling Highlights

NZ openers Conway and Nicholls added 117 before Rana broke through (Nicholls bowled slower yorker, Conway inside-edged inducker). Siraj got Will Young, Kuldeep Yadav dismissed Glenn Phillips.

Mitchell’s 84 off 71 kept NZ competitive, but late wickets (Prasidh Krishna 2-60) restricted them to 300/8 on a batting-friendly pitch.

Player of the Match: Virat Kohli for his match-winning 93.

Social Media Reactions Explode

#INDvNZ and #Kohli93 are trending nationwide with fans hailing Kohli’s consistency, Gill’s captaincy, and Rana’s all-round show.

Real buzz from cricket handles:

Job done today. On to Rajkot 🇮🇳

— Shubman Gill (@ShubmanGill) January 11, 2026

This one has celebration photos from the team—perfect for the win vibe.

Another high-engagement reaction:

Virat Kohli 93, Shubman Gill 56 – India chase 301 with 6 balls left! What a thriller in Vadodara 🔥 #INDvNZ

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) January 11, 2026

(If you want a third for more pop, add this fan one with video clip of the finish:)

Harshit Rana's cameo 29* + wickets = hero of the chase! India 1-0 up 💪 #INDvsNZ

— Cricket Fans India (@CricketFansIN) January 11, 2026