On Wednesday, January 14th, the second ODI of the 3-match series between India and New Zealand occurred in Rajkot. New Zealand won the toss and chose to field first, giving India the chance to bat. Amidst this, Virat Kohli accomplished a legendary feat.
By showcasing his brilliance, Kohli managed to break the record set by the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, known as the 'God of Cricket.' Until that day, Tendulkar held the record for the most runs scored in India vs New Zealand ODIs. But this milestone has now been surpassed.
Sachin Tendulkar scored 1,750 runs at an average of 46.05 over 42 ODIs between India and New Zealand. Kohli surpassed this milestone, needing just 1 more run, which he achieved despite an underwhelming performance in Rajkot, scoring only 23 runs off 29 deliveries.
Kohli was dismissed, bowled out by Christian Clarke. In 35 matches, Kohli has now amassed 1,773 runs at an average of 55.40. Ross Taylor holds the record for the most runs for New Zealand in ODIs against India, with 1,385 runs in 35 matches, recently continuing his legacy playing for Samoa.
First Below-50 Score in 8 List-A Innings for Kohli
The unmatched consistency of Virat Kohli in List-A cricket found a rare pause. After a streak of eight consecutive 50+ scores, he was dismissed for just 23 against New Zealand, marking the first time he failed to reach fifty in the last eight List-A outings.
Previously, Kohli had been on a scoring spree, with an unbeaten 74 against Australia, 135, 102, and an unbeaten 65 against South Africa, 131 against Andhra Pradesh, 77 against Gujarat, and 93 against New Zealand in domestic tournaments. But today, he could only muster 23 runs.
India's Playing XI in Rajkot ODI:
Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper), Nitesh Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Siraj
New Zealand's Playing XI in Rajkot ODI:
Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Hay (Wicketkeeper), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell (Captain), Christian Clarke, Kyle Jamieson, Jack Fox, Jayden Lennox
