Kohli's NZ ODI milestone, but dismissal echoes 2023 final
Kohli's NZ ODI milestone, but dismissal echoes 2023 final
Kohli surpasses Tendulkar as India's top ODI run-scorer against New Zealand, but his dismissal on 23 on a slow Rajkot pitch echoes the 2023 final.
Rajkot witnessed a Kohli moment that felt like a mirror of his 2023 World Cup final exit. In the second ODI against New Zealand, his attempt to guide a delivery shaped on a slow surface ended with his stumps disturbed as he was on 23. Kristian Clarke had angled a length ball from outside off back into Kohli, who played at it with the bat close to the body and dragged it onto his stumps. The dismissal drew a murmur from the crowd, even as India pressed for a strong start in front of a home audience.
Earlier in the same match, Kohli had already etched his name into Indian cricket history by surpassing Sachin Tendulkar as India's top ODI run-scorer against New Zealand. He crossed Tendulkar's tally of 1,750 with a boundary off the first ball he faced after reaching 93 in the first ODI, taking his total to 1,773 runs against New Zealand. Globally, though, the leader of the chart remains Ricky Ponting with 1,971 ODI runs against New Zealand.
Beyond the milestones, Kohli's current form has been a talking point, with a potential six consecutive ODI fifty-plus scores against New Zealand in Rajkot in reach as this series unfolds. He entered the match eyeing a sixth consecutive fifty-plus against New Zealand in Rajkot, a mark that would place him among the few who have sustained such consistency in ODIs.
With Ponting ahead and Kohli's Indian record now clear, India's hunt for series advantage continues, and cricket fans will be watching closely how he responds to the setback.
