India kicked off their multi-format white-ball series against New Zealand. The two sides locked horns in the first ODI of the series at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara on January 11. With the likes of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli featuring in the clash, it was Kohli who managed to capture the headlines.
It is an interesting note that the first ODI against New Zealand is Virat Kohli’s 309th ODI game, and the clash sees him surpass former India cricketer Sourav Ganguly in the list.
Notably, Ganguly has played 308 ODIs for team India, while Kohli has now surpassed him in the list. Furthermore, the veteran batter now occupies fifth place in the list, sitting behind Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Rahul Dravid, and Mohammad Azharuddin.
With the ODI World Cup 2027 on the horizon, Kohli will hope to be in his best form, so as to better prepare himself for the marquee tournament, considering that he would feature for the Men in Blue in the competition.
India opt to bowl first in the clash
It is interesting to note that the first ODI in Vadodara kicked off with team India winning the toss and opting to bowl first. This is the first instance after the ODI World Cup 2023 that the Men in Blue have won successive tosses, finally putting an end to their horror run.
“We want to try different combinations and see how that works. Surface looks good, hope it'll be easier to bat with the dew coming in in the second innings. Playing a bit of Vijay Hazare gives players some experience. Six bowlers - Washy, Kuldeep, Jadeja as spinners,” India skipper Shubman Gill said after winning the toss and opting to bowl.
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