Star batter gears up for New Zealand ODIs, eyes major batting milestones
January 7, 2026: Virat Kohli drew massive attention on Wednesday as he arrived at Vadodara airport ahead of the ODI series against New Zealand, beginning January 11, 2026. Huge crowds gathered to welcome the former India captain, with chants echoing across the terminal. The situation briefly turned chaotic as fans rushed to see him, forcing security to step in. Teammate Nitish Reddy also reached Vadodara, with more players expected soon ahead of the series opener at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi.
Kohli comes into the series in strong form after returning to the Vijay Hazare Trophy, playing List A cricket for the first time in 15 years. He impressed with scores of 131 and 77, and became the fastest player to cross 16,000 List A runs, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s record. His resurgence continued in international cricket, where he struck back-to-back centuries against South Africa and finished as India’s top scorer in the ODI series.
The 37-year-old is now just 25 runs away from becoming the fastest cricketer to reach 28,000 international runs. With 27,975 runs in 623 innings, Kohli is set to join legends Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara in the elite list. He also boasts an excellent record against New Zealand, scoring 1,657 runs in 33 ODIs, including six centuries, making him a key figure to watch in the upcoming series.