Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli Rewrite Record Books as Indian Greats Shine in First ODI Against New Zealand

Vadodara, Jan 2026 : Indian cricket witnessed a historic evening at the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) Stadium on Sunday as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli etched their names deeper into the record books during the first ODI of the ongoing three-match series against New Zealand. While Rohit created history with his six-hitting prowess, Kohli climbed to second place on the list of the highest run-scorers in international cricket, underlining the enduring dominance of India’s senior batting duo.

Chasing a target of 301, Rohit Sharma opened the innings alongside captain Shubman Gill. The Indian opener began cautiously on a pitch that demanded patience, but soon switched gears to produce moments of trademark flair. In the sixth over, the 38-year-old launched Ben Foulkes for a towering six — his first maximum of the innings — before following it up in the next over by dispatching Kyle Jamieson’s back-of-a-length delivery into the stands.

Those two shots were enough to script history. Rohit became the opener with the most sixes in ODI cricket, reaching 329 maximums and surpassing West Indies legend Chris Gayle, who had 328. In the process, Rohit also completed 650 sixes in international cricket, becoming the first player in the world to achieve the remarkable milestone across formats.

Despite the historic achievement, Rohit was unable to convert his brisk start into a substantial innings. He was dismissed in the ninth over by Jamieson, scoring 26 off 29 balls, an innings that included three fours and two sixes. While short-lived, the knock once again highlighted Rohit’s ability to dominate bowling attacks early in the innings.

Rohit’s consistency in the 50-over format has been a defining feature of his career. Last year alone, the right-hander amassed 650 runs in 14 ODI innings, remaining unbeaten once, with a personal best of 121 not out. His performances have kept him firmly at the top of the ICC ODI batting rankings, reinforcing his status as one of the greatest white-ball batters of the modern era.

Soon after Rohit’s dismissal, Virat Kohli walked out at No. 3 and proceeded to script history of his own. During his composed innings, Kohli crossed the 28,016-run mark in international cricket, overtaking Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara to become the second-highest run-scorer of all time. Only Sachin Tendulkar, with 34,357 runs, now stands ahead of him.

Kohli achieved the landmark with his 42nd run, scored off the fifth delivery of the 20th over, sending the Vadodara crowd into raptures. Earlier in his innings, the former India captain also became the fastest batter in history to reach 28,000 international runs, accomplishing the feat in just 624 innings — 20 fewer than Tendulkar, who had previously held the record.

Before the series opener, Kohli needed just 25 runs to touch the 28,000-run mark. He came into the match with 27,975 runs from 556 matches and 623 innings, boasting a staggering average of 52.58, along with 84 centuries and 145 half-centuries. Making his 309th ODI appearance, Kohli crossed the milestone by striking a boundary off New Zealand spinner Adithya Ashok in the 13th over.

The historic batting feats followed a competitive first innings from New Zealand. After winning the toss, India opted to bowl, but the visitors made a strong start through openers Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls, whose century-plus partnership put the Indian bowlers under pressure. India clawed their way back with disciplined bowling in the middle overs, picking up wickets at regular intervals to curb the scoring rate.

Daryl Mitchell played a crucial anchoring role for New Zealand, ensuring the innings did not collapse completely, as the BlackCaps finished on 300 for eight in their allotted 50 overs — a challenging total on a surface offering assistance to bowlers.

With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli continuing to redefine longevity and excellence in international cricket, the first ODI served as a reminder that India’s modern legends remain as influential as ever, both statistically and on the field.

Team Maverick.