During the second One Day International against New Zealand on January 14, 2026, at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot, Virat Kohli officially surpassed Sachin Tendulkar to become India’s highest run-scorer against the Black Caps in the 50-over format.
Entering the contest needing just a single run to overtake the “Little Master,” Kohli signaled his intent immediately by dispatching his very first ball for a trademark boundary, reaching the 1,751-run mark in just his 35th match against New Zealand—a feat that took Tendulkar 42 matches to achieve.
Although his stay at the crease was uncharacteristically brief, ending at 23 runs off 29 balls after he chopped a delivery from young pacer Kristian Clarke onto his stumps, Kohli’s new total of 1,773 runs cements his status as the most dominant Indian batter against this particular opponent. He now trails only the legendary Ricky Ponting (1,971 runs) for the all-time record against New Zealand, further solidifying his position in the pantheon of the game’s greatest ever competitors.
The milestone was a fitting accompaniment to a week that had already seen the 37-year-old “King Kohli” reclaim his throne as the world’s number-one-ranked ODI batter. On the morning of the Rajkot clash, the ICC updated its rankings to show Kohli at the top for the 11th distinct time in his career, an achievement fueled by a sensational run of form that includes five consecutive 50-plus scores in the format.
This resurgence is particularly notable given his performance in the series opener at Vadodara, where he smashed a match-winning 93 and became the fastest player in history to cross 28,000 international runs. Reaching that milestone in just 624 innings—surpassing Tendulkar’s mark of 644 innings—Kohli has effectively silenced any remaining skeptics regarding his longevity. His current tally of 84 international centuries has reignited the global debate over whether he will eventually match Tendulkar’s “century of centuries,” a record once thought to be untouchable.
However, the celebratory atmosphere was tempered by a challenging result for Team India. Despite Kohli’s record and a magnificent unbeaten 112 from KL Rahul, India’s total of 284/7 proved insufficient. New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell delivered a career-defining performance, blasting 131 not out to guide his team to a seven-wicket victory—their highest-ever successful chase against India on Indian soil. This result leveled the three-match series 1-1, setting up a high-stakes finale in Indore. For Kohli, Rajkot encapsulated his current phase: a player still capable of redefining statistical excellence while operating within a side navigating a period of intense transition.
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