"The World's No. 1-ranked batter found it tough" - Former CSK batter's huge praise for Virat Kohli for his sublime 74 in NZ vs IND 2026 1st ODI

Former Indian cricketer Ambati Rayudu hailed ace batter Virat Kohli's stellar display in the first ODI against New Zealand at Eden Park, Auckland, on Wednesday, November 4. The veteran player scored a 51-ball 74, playing a massive role in the Men in Blue's successful run chase to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

New Zealand, sent in by Shubman Gill after a brief shower delayed the toss, were bowled out for 185 in 40.2 overs. Arshdeep Singh took 4-70, Gurnoor Brar 3-44 and Anshul Kamboj 2-22, while Virat Kohli made an impact on the field with a diving catch at second slip to remove Nathan Smith.

India's reply was reshaped twice by rain. Rohit Sharma fell for a duck in the opening over, so Virat Kohli was in before the second over was done, and play stopped at 54/1 before a second shower cut the innings to 32 overs and set a Duckworth-Lewis-Stern target of 143. The visitors reached 143/5 in 22.4 overs, five wickets and 56 balls to spare, with the veteran batter scoring more than half of the team's score.

Ambati Rayudu noted how Virat Kohli batted effortlessly on a surface where even the in-form No. 1-ranked ODI batter Shubman Gill struggled with his 56-ball 37.

"As a batter, you know that the wicket was very, very tough to bat on. The World's No. 1-ranked batter found it tough, and Virat Kohli showed what he is all about. It is amazing to bat like that in the first game of the series. I am sure Shubman Gill standing at the other end, even if he wanted to dominate the proceedings, I don't think at the moment he could have, he would have watched the King bat and give it to him," Ambati Rayudu said on Cricbuzz.

The former CSK player further noted that only a handful of players in the entire world are capable of doing what Virat Kohli did in similar conditions.

"He showed off today, it is unbelievable. I think only 2 or 3 batters in the world can do that on this surface and he has every right to show off. This is a day he knows that he can show everyone what the difference or the gap is between him and all the others," he added.

The knock also took Virat Kohli past Sachin Tendulkar for the most runs in ODI chases and made him the first batter to 13,000 ODI runs at No. 3.

“Our man was having a fun day there” - Murali Kartik on Virat Kohli making batting look easy on a tricky pitch in NZ vs IND 2026

Former India spinner Murali Kartik also outlined how Virat Kohli made batting look easy in tough conditions where he was the only batter to have a strike rate of over 100 after facing at least 20 deliveries.

“When you look at the entire game, batters have found it difficult. The short ball has come into play, the opposition also used it, but it seemed as if our man was having a fun day there, because a 4th-fastest fifty, second-fastest outside home, it just gets better. He just did it so easily," Murali Kartik said.

"He is one of those players who acclimatizes quickly to any condition around the world. That is the hallmark of a champion. The likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Jasprit Bumrah, and Virat Kohli, they quickly adapt to the conditions on hand, and that is why they are so good. While the others were struggling, on a pitch like that, he has played some shots with aplomb," he added.

India, with an early 1-0 lead in the series, will face New Zealand in the second ODI of the series on Saturday, November 7, in Wellington.

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