In the second ODI of India vs New Zealand series in 2026, Virat Kohli achieved another remarkable milestone, cementing his status as one of the modern greats of the game.
During the match, Kohli crossed the 1,757-run mark against New Zealand in One Day Internationals, making him India’s highest run-scorer against the Black Caps in this format.
By surpassing the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who had amassed 1,750 runs against New Zealand in ODIs, Kohli added yet another record to his illustrious career.
While Kohli now leads India’s charts, only Australian great Ricky Ponting remains ahead of him overall in this head-to-head ODI run-scoring tally.
Ricky Ponting scored 1,971 runs against New Zealand in his ODI career, giving him a slight edge over Kohli. However, with Kohli still actively playing and in prime form, it seems only a matter of time before he challenges Ponting’s record as well.
Kohli’s Milestones in IND vs NZ ODIs
The record against New Zealand today was just one of many highlights in a ODI series dedicated to Kohli’s greatness:
Fastest to 28,000: Kohli, in IND vs NZ 1st ODI, became the quickest player in history to reach 28,000 international runs (624 innings), beating Tendulkar’s record of 644.
Silver Medal in Runs: In IND-NZ series opener, he officially overtook Kumar Sangakkara to become the second-highest run-scorer in the history of international cricket.
Longevity King: By playing his 309th ODI, which was IND vs NZ 1st ODI, he surpassed Sourav Ganguly to become India’s 5th most-capped ODI player.
Current Situation: Kohli and Iyer Rebuilding
In IND vs NZ 2nd ODI at Rajkot, the spotlight remains firmly on Virat Kohli, who is anchoring the innings after the early departures of the Indian openers.
New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell won the toss and invited India to bat first on a characteristic Rajkot “belter.”
India find themselves at 114/2 after 21 overs, with Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer looking to build a substantial platform. The opening pair provided a steady start but failed to capitalize on their set positions:
Shubman Gill (56 off 53): The Indian captain struck a fluent half-century, decorated with seven boundaries and a six, before falling to Kyle Jamieson in what was described as a “soft dismissal.”
Rohit Sharma (24 off 38): The veteran opener was dismissed in the 13th over by Kristian Clarke, caught by Will Young after a cautious start.
