Vadodara, Jan 11 (NationPress) Thanks to impressive performances by Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill, along with KL Rahul's unbeaten 29, India secured a thrilling four-wicket victory against New Zealand in the opening match of the three-match ODI series at the Kotambi International Stadium (BCA), taking a 1-0 lead.

Rohit Sharma and skipper Gill wasted no time, with Rohit making a statement by hitting a six in the opening over. He also became the first cricketer to hit 650 sixes in international cricket.

Following this historic feat, Rohit was dismissed by Kyle Jamieson, scoring 26 off 29 balls. Kohli then took charge, starting strong and hitting boundaries consistently, keeping the focus on him during India's chase.

Kohli entered the match needing just 25 runs to achieve 28,000 international runs and reached this milestone with a boundary off Adithya Ashok in the 13th over. With this, Kohli became the fastest player to achieve this feat in just 624 innings, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's previous record.

Additionally, Kohli overtook Kumar Sangakkara to become the second-highest run-scorer in international cricket history, moving past Sangakkara's 28,016 runs. Only Tendulkar remains ahead with 34,357 runs.

Kohli and Gill built a solid 118-run partnership, helping India comfortably reach the 100-run milestone. Kohli reached his fifty in just 44 balls, while Gill, returning from injury, scored his 16th ODI fifty off 66 balls.

Gill was dismissed in the 27th over after scoring 56 off 71. Shreyas Iyer then attacked Adithya Ashok with two fours and a six, contributing to a 77-run partnership with Kohli before Jamieson triggered a mini-collapse.

Jamieson first claimed Kohli for 93 in the 40th over and then dismissed Ravindra Jadeja cheaply. In the following over, he sent Iyer packing for 49, leaving India in a challenging position. With Washington Sundar injured earlier, Harshit Rana came in at No. 7 and managed a quick 29 off 23 before he was dismissed.

As the target dwindled, Rahul hit two boundaries in the 49th over, leaving just one run needed with seven balls to go. He then finished the chase with a six, securing the victory for India with an over to spare.

Earlier, Daryl Mitchell anchored New Zealand's innings with a solid 84, helping them post a competitive score of 300/8. The New Zealand openers, Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls, started cautiously but gradually increased the pace. They formed a 117-run opening partnership, marking New Zealand's first century stand away from home since 2019.

India made a comeback through Harshit Rana, whose sharp bowling, along with KL Rahul's excellent keeping, ended Nicholls’ innings at 62. Rana struck again to dismiss Conway for 56, shifting the momentum towards India. Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav also contributed to the wickets, leaving New Zealand at 153/4 after 30 overs.

Mitchell Hay provided a brief batting counterattack, but it was Daryl Mitchell who held the innings together, scoring a measured half-century. Prasidh Krishna eventually ended Mitchell's innings in the 48th over, dismissing him for 84. Late runs from Jamieson and debutant Kristian Clarke helped New Zealand surpass the 300-run mark, finishing at 300/8.

The two teams will meet again in Rajkot for the second ODI at the Niranjan Shah Stadium on Wednesday.

Brief Scores:

New Zealand 300/8 in 50 overs (Daryl Mitchell 84, Henry Nicholls 62; Mohammed Siraj 2-40, Harshit Rana 2-65) lost to India (Virat Kohli 93, Shubman Gill 56; Kyle Jamieson 4-41, Kristian Clarke 1-73) by four wickets.