IND VS NZ 1st ODI: Heartbreak for fans as Virat Kohli falls short of 54th ODI century by 7 runs

Millions of cricket fans were left disappointed on Sunday after Virat Kohli narrowly missed out on his 54th One-Day International century, falling just seven runs short for 93 at the Kotambi Stadium. 

Walking in after the dismissal of Rohit Sharma, Kohli looked fluent and composed, scoring with ease and showing complete control over the innings before perishing to an over-ambitious shot, while nearing the milestone.

Despite missing out on the century, Kohli achieved a significant personal landmark during his knock. He went past 28,000 international runs, becoming only the third cricketer in history to reach the milestone, joining legends Sachin Tendulkar and Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara.

New Zealand Post Competitive Total

Earlier in the day, India’s captain Shubman Gill won the toss and opted to field first. New Zealand openers Henry Nicholls and Devon Conway gave the visitors a solid start, both registering half-centuries. A late flourish from Daryl Mitchell helped New Zealand post a competitive total of 300 runs on a pitch that offered some assistance to bowlers.

Bowlers Do the Job

Indian pacers Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana claimed two wickets each, keeping the scoring in check on a slower surface. The match also marked a historic moment, with Kotambi Stadium becoming the 51st venue in India to host a men’s ODI.

Chase in Progress

As the chase continued, Shreyas Iyer contributed 48 runs, with KL Rahul at the crease, keeping India’s hopes alive in the opening ODI.