Virat Kohli put up another masterclass during the third ODI between India and New Zealand in Vadodra on Sunday. Kohli helped the home side chase down 301 against the Blackcaps after scoring 93 off just 91 deliveries. The right-handed bater looked set for yet another ODI ton but played one in the air and Michael Bracewell took a good catch at mid-off to send him back.
While Kohli missed out on a hundred, he was rewarded for his knock as the star Indian batter was adjudged Player of the Match. Kohli now has 45 POTM in ODI cricket and is third in the list with most awards.
The great Sachin Tendulkar tops the list with 62 while former Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya follows him at two with 48. Kohli is at three and Jacques Kallis is at fourth with 32.
“Honestly I have no idea. I just send the trophies back home to my mum in Gurgaon – she loves keeping them. If I look back at my whole journey then it is nothing short of a dream come true for me. I have always known my abilities, but I also knew I had to work extremely hard to get where I am today. God has blessed me with far more than I could ever ask for, I look back at my journey with a lot of grace and gratitude, and I feel really proud of it,” Kohli said during the post-match presentation.
🗣️ If I look back at my whole journey, it’s nothing short of a dream come true. ✨
🎥 Virat Kohli reflects on his incredible career after becoming the 2⃣nd highest run-getter in men’s international cricket🙌👏#TeamIndia | #INDvNZ | @imVkohli | @idfcfirstbank pic.twitter.com/87BgcZlx4b
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 11, 2026
“If I am being brutally honest, the way I’m playing right now, I’m not thinking about milestones at all. If we were batting first, I probably would’ve gone harder. But in a chase, with a total on the board, I had to play the situation. I felt like hitting more boundaries, but experience kicks in. The only thing on my mind was getting the team into a position where we could win comfortably,” he added.
🚨 Milestone Alert 🚨
Virat Kohli is now the second highest run-getter in international cricket (Men’s) 🫡
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/OcIPHEpvjr#TeamIndia | #INDvNZ | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/vf3Yr8FYhG
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 11, 2026
After a slight hiccup, India went over the line by 6 wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Also Read: India vs New Zealand 2nd ODI: When Will Virat Kohli And Rohit Sharma Play Next? Check Date And Venue
Covering sports for fun. Cricket in whites remains the first love—the kind that teaches patience, rewards nuance, and tells stories over five days rather than five seconds.
