Virat Kohli has begun net practice in Mumbai ahead of India's ODI series against New Zealand. He gifted a young net bowler an autographed jersey and needs 226 runs to surpass Sachin Tendulkar's record for most ODI runs by an Indian in New Zealand.
Former Team India star batter Virat Kohli has returned to the nets as part of his preparation for the upcoming five-match ODI series against New Zealand, starting on November 4. Kohli returned to Mumbai to begin an intense training schedule at the Cricket Club of India (CCI)'s Brabourne Stadium.
Indian batting stalwart, who retired from T20Is and Tests in 2024 and 2025, respectively, had a rigorous hit-out at the nets, taking on both local pace bowlers and spinners to fine-tune his rhythm and footwork on the red-soil track ahead of the upcoming series. Having last played in the ODI series against West Indies in October, Kohli is preparing for the New Zealand ODIs.
In the West Indies ODIs, Virat Kohli aggregated 168 runs, including an unbeaten 139-run knock in the series opener, at an average of 84. The magnificent performance included his 55th ODI century in Thiruvananthapuram, where he became the fastest batter to cross the 15,000-run milestone in the 50-over format.
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Mumbai’s Net Bowler Receives Gift from Kohli
Virat Kohli had intense pratice sessions with the help of Mumbai net bowlers at Brabourne Stadium, and one of them had an opportunity to bowl to the batting legend during his two-hour grueling stint at the CCI pitch.
Following the intense workout, Kohli made the young bowler's day, identified as Akash Pawar, by taking time to interact with him, sharing words of wisdom, and signing a special autograph directly onto the youngster's Team India jersey.
Taking to his Instagram handle, Akash shared a video of his interaction with the former India captain and captioned:
“The kind of moment that makes every early morning worth it.”
Kohli, who has been residing in London since he retired from Test cricket, landed in Mumbai for a brief training camp ahead of the tour to New Zealand, ensuring he stays match-ready for the 50-over format.
Virat Kohli and his actress wife, Anushka Sharma, attended a live kirtan performance by renowned American devotional singer Krishna Das in the city. Videos of them clapping, swaying, and singing along to the chants quickly went viral online, with fans admiring their humility and grounded lifestyle away from the cricket pitch.
What Is Virat Kohli’s ODI Record in New Zealand?
Having retired from T20Is and Tests, Virat Kohli has been solely focusing on ODIs, with an aim of extending his illustrious career till the 2027 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
Following his Test retirement, the 37-year-old has featured in every ODI series, including against Australia (away), South Africa (home), New Zealand (home), England (away), Afghanistan (home), and West Indies (home), and will now travel to New Zealand for the upcoming five-match ODI series away from home.
Virat Kohli has a good ODI record in New Zealand, amassing 596 runs, including a century and 4 fifties, at an average of 49.66 in 13 matches. Kohli is just 226 runs short of surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 821 runs for the most ODI runs scored by an Indian batter in New Zealand.
Overall, Kohli has a brilliant record against New Zealand in ODIs, amassing 1897 runs, including 7 centuries and 10 fifties, at an average of 57.48 in 36 matches, the most by an Indian batter in history, comfortably surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's previous milestone of 1,750 runs.
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