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Key Takeaways
- 1📊 Virat Kohli scored 93 in a 302 chase in the 1st ODI
- 2🏆 118-run stand with Shubman Gill set up India’s victory
- 3💡 Kohli chose counterattack over simply playing out the situation
- 4🔮 His form sets an ominous tone for the rest of the ODI series
"Kohli's 93 set up India's victory in the first ODI against New Zealand despite late strikes from Jamieson"
Virat Kohli turned back the clock in Vadodara, smashing a commanding 93 to script Team India’s successful chase of 302 against New Zealand in the first ODI, and then laid bare the mindset driving his resurgence: he would rather counterattack than merely survive.
Kohli-Gill blitz sets the tone in 302 chase
Chasing 302, India lost skipper Rohit Sharma for 26 inside the powerplay, but Kohli walked in with a clear plan – seize back control. From ball one he was in fifth gear, cracking six fours in his first 20 balls, instantly reversing the pressure on New Zealand’s new-ball pair.
At the other end, Shubman Gill played the perfect foil. The duo added a fluent 118-run stand for the second wicket, mixing textbook strokes with calculated aggression, exactly the kind of old-school ODI chase Indian fans grew up watching from the Dhoni-Kohli era.
Kohli’s intent never dipped. Even as the ball got softer, he kept looking for boundaries, refusing to let the required rate creep up. His 93 became the spine of the innings, allowing India the cushion to absorb a late burst from Kyle Jamieson, whose strikes briefly threatened to drag the game into the final over.
For fans, this was classic King Kohli in a chase: early counterpunch, middle-overs mastery, and complete control of the tempo. The message ahead of the rest of the series is clear – if bowlers pitch it up, he’s coming hard.
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