A Brilliant 74 Gives India a Five-Wicket Win at Eden Park
Virat Kohli hit a commanding 74 off 51 balls as India beat New Zealand by five wickets in the first one-day international at Eden Park on Wednesday, 4 November 2026. The match was affected by rain, and India won under the DLS method. Kohli, who turns 38 on Thursday, came in after Rohit Sharma was out for a duck. The result gives India a 1-0 lead in the series.
Background: A Series Opener With New Faces
India arrived in Auckland after a T20I series in New Zealand, and the one-day series opened with a pace attack that reports described as inexperienced. Kohli, who has retired from T20Is and Tests, now plays only ODIs for India. He last played one-day cricket for India on 27 September against West Indies, before this match.
His form has been a talking point since he returned to the one-day side. Kohli still holds the record for the most ODI centuries, and every innings adds to a career that is already among the biggest in the sport. The New Zealand series gave him a chance to start strongly in a format where he remains central.
Details: How India Won
The Bowling Effort
India’s pacers did the early work. Arshdeep Singh took 4 for 70, Gurnoor Brar took 3 for 44 and Anshul Kamboj took 2 for 22. New Zealand were bowled out for 185 in 40.2 overs, with Tim Seifert making 38 and Blair Tickner 34. The attack’s collective performance was singled out in match reports.
The Chase
India’s chase was interrupted twice by rain. The contest was cut to 32 overs, and India’s target was revised to 143 under the DLS method. Kohli walked in at the end of the first over on a quick and bouncy pitch. He played a series of pulls and hooks and reached his fifty off 35 balls after the second resumption, with a pull through mid-wicket in the 16th over.
India finished on 143 for 5 in 22.4 overs. Shubman Gill also contributed with the bat.
What the Numbers and Observers Say
No post-match quotes were available in the reports I could access. The statistics do the talking. Kohli faced 51 balls for his 74, a strike rate of about 145, in a chase that needed quick scoring because of the revised target. His half-century off 35 balls came when the required rate was climbing.
Reports described the innings as classy and in control, and it was built on strong timing against the short ball.
Impact: What the Win Means
For India, the result is a strong start to the series, built on a young pace attack and a senior batter who still sets the tempo. The bowlers’ performance suggests the team has depth in the pace department, which matters with a World Cup cycle underway.
For Kohli, the innings is another step in a long career. His birthday on Thursday is a reminder of how long he has remained at the top. For New Zealand, the loss puts pressure on their batters to build bigger totals in the next two matches.
Conclusion: What Comes Next
The series moves to its second match, where New Zealand will look to level it. India will aim to settle their top order after Rohit Sharma’s early dismissal. Kohli’s next innings will add to his ODI total, and any hundred will extend his record.
For now, India lead 1-0 after a rain-hit but one-sided opening match.
FAQs
What is Virat Kohli’s batting average?
According to Cricinfo figures on 28 September 2026, Kohli’s batting average is 46.85 in Tests, 59.13 in ODIs and 48.69 in T20Is. His ODI average is the highest of the three and is among the best ever for a batter with that many matches. These numbers predate Wednesday’s innings of 74, so his ODI average and run total will have changed slightly. For up-to-date figures, check his official profile on ESPNcricinfo or the ICC site.
Has Virat Kohli scored 300?
No. Kohli has never scored a triple century in international cricket. His highest score in Tests is 254 not out, in ODIs it is 183, and in T20Is it is 122 not out. He has scored a large number of centuries across formats, but no individual innings has reached 300. If you are asking about career totals instead, he has passed 28,000 international runs in all formats, according to the figures below.
Does Kohli have 10,000 Test runs?
No. Kohli finished his Test career with 9,230 runs in 123 matches at an average of 46.85, which leaves him 770 runs short of 10,000. He announced his retirement from Test cricket in May 2025, and his last Test was in Sydney in January 2025. He hit 30 Test centuries and scored a highest of 254 not out. Across all three formats, his international total stood at about 28,498 runs on 28 September 2026, before Wednesday’s innings.
What is Virat Kohli’s ODI record?
As of 28 September 2026, Kohli had scored 15,080 runs in 315 ODIs at an average of 59.13, according to Cricinfo figures. He holds the record for the most ODI hundreds, reaching 50 in the 2023 World Cup semi-final, as reported by Reuters. One stats site lists 51, so check the latest count. His highest ODI score is 183. He is also third on the all-time ODI run-scoring list behind Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara, but confirm that ranking with a current table.
