India secured a thrilling victory over New Zealand in the first One-Day International at Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara, on Sunday, taking a 1–0 lead in the three-match series. KL Rahul sealed the win with a composed knock, helping India hold their nerve in a tense finish and delight the home crowd.
Chasing a competitive target of 300, India looked in control for most of the innings, with Virat Kohli leading the charge. Kohli played a fluent and assured innings before falling for 93, narrowly missing his 54th ODI century. Despite the near-miss, he achieved a major milestone, surpassing 28,000 international runs, becoming only the third cricketer in history to reach the landmark alongside Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara.
With the match on a knife-edge, KL Rahul and Harshit Rana steadied the innings, displaying composure and resilience to guide India safely across the line, preventing any late collapse.
Earlier, India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to field. New Zealand openers Henry Nicholls and Devon Conway laid a solid foundation with half-centuries, while Daryl Mitchell’s late flourish helped the visitors post a competitive 300 runs. Indian pacers Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Harshit Rana shared six wickets, keeping the scoring in check on a slow surface. The match also marked Kotambi Stadium’s debut as the 51st venue in India to host a men’s ODI.
With the series lead secured, attention now shifts to Rajkot for the second ODI on 14 January, where both sides will look to build momentum.
