Vadodara

India batter Shreyas Iyer showered praise on Virat Kohli after the senior cricketer’s superb 93-run effort powered India to a four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the opening ODI of the three-match series at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi on Sunday.

Chasing a competitive target of 301, Kohli played a composed and match-defining knock, scoring 93 runs off 91 deliveries. His innings, which included eight fours and a six, helped India take a 1-0 lead in the series with a confident run chase.

The 37-year-old’s performance marked his seventh straight fifty-plus score in one-day cricket since the third ODI against Australia in October 2025. During this impressive run, Kohli has struck three centuries—two in ODIs and one in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. His recent scores read 93, 77, 131, 65 not out, 102, 135 and 74 not out.

Kohli also achieved a major milestone during the innings, overtaking Kumar Sangakkara to become the second-highest run-scorer in international cricket across all formats. Having now amassed 28,068 runs in 557 matches at an average of 52.66, he trails only Sachin Tendulkar on the all-time list, with 84 international hundreds to his credit.

In a video shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Iyer highlighted Kohli’s sustained excellence, praising his ability to control the game through smart strike rotation and attacking intent.

“Whatever we say about Virat’s innings will always fall short. He’s been doing this consistently for so many years. The way he manages the strike and takes on bowlers shows that he truly walks the talk,” Iyer said.

Iyer also spoke about his return to the Indian squad and expressed happiness at beginning the series with a win. He said rejoining the team and sharing the dressing room again was a special feeling.

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“It’s a great start to the series. Coming back into the team after some time feels wonderful. I really missed being part of this group, and I’m glad to be back,” he added.