Indore, Jan 18 (NationPress) New Zealand triumphed over a remarkable 124 runs from the iconic Virat Kohli, securing a 41-run victory and achieving a historic 2-1 series win in the decisive ODI at the Holkar Stadium on Sunday.

The Kiwis, led by impressive scores of 137 and 106 from Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips, posted a formidable total of 337/8 on a challenging black soil pitch. Despite Kohli's 54th ODI century, India was bowled out for 296 in just 46 overs. Both Kyle Jamieson and Zakary Foulkes took three wickets each, marking New Zealand's first ODI series win on Indian soil, after trailing 1-0 just a week prior.

The Indian innings started poorly, with Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul dismissed early, leaving the team struggling at 71/4. Kohli (124 off 108 balls) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (53) provided a glimmer of hope with an 88-run partnership, while Harshit Rana added excitement with a rapid 52 off 43 balls. Ultimately, the target proved too high, marking India's fifth home ODI series loss since 2010.

The chase started well with India racing to 28 runs in three overs, but Rohit's dismissal in the fourth derailed the momentum. Jamieson delivered a sharp delivery that struck Gill's stumps, followed by wickets falling quickly at the other end.

Kohli, despite facing challenges from Jamieson's bounce, showcased his skills with a flurry of boundaries against Foulkes, Jamieson, and Kristian Clarke. However, wickets continued to tumble, with Iyer and Rahul falling to poor shots.

Kohli reached his fifty in 51 balls, and his elegant timing shone when he flicked a ball past deep square-leg. Reddy also impressed, hitting four boundaries, including a six that marked his first ODI fifty.

The partnership of Kohli and Reddy ended when Reddy fell to Clarke's short ball. Ravindra Jadeja's attempt to counter Lennox backfired, leaving Kohli to carry the innings alone.

Kohli responded with a surge of boundaries, reaching his century in 91 balls. He struck two sixes off Jamieson, while Rana also contributed with a massive six.

However, Rana's innings ended when he was dismissed by Foulkes, and soon after, India needed 61 runs from 37 deliveries. Kohli attempted to keep hope alive with back-to-back boundaries but fell shortly after for 124. Despite a standing ovation, it was a futile effort as India's resistance crumbled, culminating in Kuldeep Yadav's run out. This victory not only marked a historic series win for New Zealand but also added to their earlier achievement of a 3-0 Test sweep over India.

Brief scores:

New Zealand 337/8 in 50 overs (Daryl Mitchell 137, Glenn Phillips 106; Arshdeep Singh 3-63, Harshit Rana 3-84) defeated India 296 in 46 overs (Virat Kohli 124, Nitish Kumar Reddy 53, Harshit Rana 52; Kristian Clarke 3-54, Zakary Foulkes 3-77) by 41 runs