Virat Kohli continued his superb ODI form with a match-winning 93 against New Zealand. Focusing only on ODIs for the 2027 World Cup, he has consistently scored, using his experience and skill to remain a key figure in India’s batting lineup.
Former Team India captain and ace batter Virat Kohli yet again delighted the fans and Indian cricket fraternity with his match-winning knock in the Men in Blue’s four-wicket win over New Zealand in the first ODI of the three-match series at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara on Sunday, January 11.
Kohli played a brilliant knock of 93 off 91 balls, guiding Team India in their mammoth 301-run chase, which was eventually chased down in the penultimate over of the match. The veteran Indian batter was adjudged the Player of the Match for his batting brilliance and leading the Men in Blue’s successful run chase to seal a four-wicket win and take a 1-0 series lead.
Virat Kohli has carried his impressive form from the three-match ODI series against South Africa and his couple of outings in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in December last year, and continued his strong run in ODIs with another decisive performance against New Zealand.
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Kohli in an Extraordinary Form
Since retiring from T20Is and Tests and shifting his focus solely to ODI cricket, with the intention of extending his illustrious career until the 2027 World Cup, Virat Kohli has been showing no signs of slowing down. After scoring a fifty in the third and final ODI of the series against Australia in Sydney, the veteran Indian has been in sublime form, using every opportunity coming his way to strengthen his case for continued selection in India’s ODI squad as he eyes the 2027 World Cup.
In the ODI series against South Africa, Kohli was the standout batter with 302 runs, including two centuries and a fifty, at an average of 151. He carried his rhythm and form into the Vijay Hazare Trophy, making a remarkable comeback after 15 years by scoring 133 and 77 for Delhi against Andhra and Gujarat, reaffirming his commitment to be part of India’s 2027 World Cup plans.
The former India captain yet again showed his class and hunger for runs with a match-winning 93 off 91 balls, falling just seven runs short of a record-extending 54th ODI century and 85th in his international career.
Since Test retirement in May 2025, Virat Kohli has been solely focusing on his ODI career, as he aims to contribute heavily to India’s white-ball setup and continue to be part of India’s long-term ODI plans in the build-up to the 2027 World Cup in South Africa. ODI cricket has been Kohli’s dominant format over a decade and a half, allowing him to remain a central figure in India’s batting line-up.
What Keeps Kohli Consistent with his Form?
Following retirement from Test cricket, Virat Kohli appeared to discover his focus and intensity in ODIs, allowing him to put up dominant performances, which can be evidenced by his outings in the last five matches across three series so far. However, Kohli’s former India teammate Ravichandran Ashwin managed to decode how the star has regained his dominance in ODI cricket.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, ‘Ash ki Baat’, the veteran Indian off-spinner believes that Kohli has not changed his batting technique, but rather is enjoying the game again, batting with the freedom of his childhood.
“It looks like nothing is going on in his mind. You asked me what he has changed, he hasn’t changed anything; he is just not thinking about anything,” Ashwin said.
“He made a decision that he just wants to enjoy his cricket. It seems like he is batting with the freedom of his childhood, combined with the experience of so many years.
“When you take joy from the game, and when you are in the right space in your life, you can play like this,” he added.
Ashwin’s statement can be corroborated by Virat Kohli’s performances since his return to competitive cricket in October 2025.
Since his competitive return, Kohli has featured in six matches, including the Sydney ODI, the three-match series against South Africa, his two appearances in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and the opening game against New Zealand, and amassed 777 runs, including four centuries and three fifties, at an average of 194.25.
A Crucial Year for Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli could not have asked for a better start to 2026 by playing a match-winning knock in the first ODI against New Zealand in Vadodara. Team India’s ODI series opener against New Zealand is one of the 17 matches in 2026, making it a crucial year for the Men in Blue as they begin the first phase of their preparations for the 2027 World Cup.
This year is crucial for Virat Kohli as well as Rohit Sharma, as the Indian batting stalwarts are strengthening their cases for regular selection in India’s ODI squad and aiming to peak ahead of the 2027 World Cup. There has been no official confirmation on their commitment to feature in the marquee event in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, but their performances in the ODI series against Australia and South Africa, a couple of outings in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and the first ODI against New Zealand suggest their reaffirmation to be part of India’s World Cup plans.
The ongoing ODI series against New Zealand is the first of six bilateral series in 2026 and serves as a platform for Indian senior players, especially Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, to fine-tune their form as they focus solely on ODIs while preparing for the 2027 World Cup.
Recently, Virat Kohli completed 28,000 international runs and became the quickest batter to achieve this feat, completing the milestone in 624 innings. He overtook Sachin Tendulkar’s previous record of 644 innings to reach the 28,000-run mark in international cricket. Moreover, Kohli overtook former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara to become the second-leading run-getter in international cricket, with 28068 in 557 matches.
