Virat Kohli once again proved his class with a fluent 93 off 91 balls, guiding India to a nervy four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first ODI of the three-match series on Sunday. Chasing 301, India reached 306 for six in 49 overs.
India were cruising when Kohli fell in the 40th over, just short of what would have been his 54th ODI century. His dismissal triggered a mini-collapse, with Shreyas Iyer (49) and Ravindra Jadeja (4) departing quickly, giving New Zealand hope. However, KL Rahul (29 )* held his nerve, stitching a crucial partnership with Harshit Rana (29) before finishing the chase with an injured Washington Sundar (7)*.
Earlier, Kohli added a vital 118-run stand with skipper Shubman Gill (56), anchoring the chase with authority and elegance. Despite missing the century, Kohli achieved a major milestone, becoming the fastest to reach 28,000 international runs.