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India wins first match in 2026: India started the year with a win. Team India started 2026 with a bang by defeating New Zealand by four wickets. With this win, Team India took a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series. Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer contributed significantly in this win. Kohli was dismissed after scoring 93 runs. The second ODI of the series will be played in Rajkot on January 14.
The Indian cricket team started 2026 with a win. The Indian team led by Shubman Gill defeated New Zealand by 4 wickets in the first ODI match played in Vadodara. With this win, the Indian team took a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series. Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul played important roles in India’s win. Kohli missed out on his 85th international century by 7 runs, while Shubman Gill scored a half-century, while Shreyas Iyer was denied a half-century by Kyle Jamieson. Shrews missed his half-century by 1 run. The second ODI of the series will be played in Rajkot on January 14.
Chasing a target of 301 runs, the Indian team won the match by scoring 306 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in 49 overs. Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill gave Team India a cautious start, adding 39 runs for the first wicket. Rohit Sharma got out after scoring 26 runs off 29 balls. However, he completed his 650 sixes in international cricket. After this Virat Kohli also joined Gill. Both shared 118 runs for the second wicket. Gill got out after scoring 56 runs off 71 balls. Kohli and Shreyas Iyer added 77 runs for the third wicket to take India to 234. Kohli was dismissed for 93 off 91 balls, while Shrews scored 49 off 47 balls. After this, KL Rahul did the rest. Rahul gave victory to India by hitting a six. He scored an unbeaten 29 off 21 balls, while Harshit Rana scored 29 off 23 balls. Kyle Jamieson took the most 4 wickets for New Zealand.
The Indian team led by Shubman Gill has started 2026 with a win.
Virat Kohli has become the fastest player to complete 28,000 runs in international cricket. He broke Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the number of innings required to reach this milestone. He achieved this feat in the fewest innings in international cricket. Kohli needed 25 runs to reach this milestone. Additionally, he became the second highest run-scorer in international cricket after Sachin Tendulkar, breaking Kumar Sangakkara’s record.
Rohit Sharma hit another record of sixes. In this match, Rohit hit his 650th six in international cricket. This is a record that no other batsman in the world could reach. Last year, Rohit Sharma hit the record for most sixes in ODI matches, breaking the world record held by Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi.
Earlier, New Zealand posted 300 for 8 with half-centuries from Darryl Mitchell (84), Henry Nicholls (62) and Devon Conway (56). Daryl Mitchell, ranked third in the world behind Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, lived up to expectations with his fighting innings, helping New Zealand recover from a middle-order collapse. Conway and Nicholls provided an ideal start, but New Zealand’s middle order failed to capitalise. Mitchell then hit five fours and three sixes in his 71-ball innings, while Nicholls’ 69-ball innings included eight fours. Conway hit six fours and a six in his 67-ball innings.
For India, pacers Harshit Rana, Mohammad Siraj and Prasidh Krishna took two wickets each, while spinner Kuldeep Yadav took one wicket. Openers Conway and Nicholls put on 117 runs in the first 21 overs, but Rana’s (2 for 65) second spell was impressive with two wickets for 13 runs in two overs. After this the home team took wickets at regular intervals.
The duo of Conway and Nichols set a big record in the opening
New Zealand’s score increased from 117 for no loss in the 22nd over to 198 for five in the 38th over. But Mitchell played strong. Rana ended the century partnership between Conway and Nicholls in the 22nd over. His off-cutter was going away from Nicholls, but the batsman tried to play it forward, and the ball took the edge of his bat into the hands of the wicketkeeper, giving India their first breakthrough.
Rana bowled a mixture of slow and some fast balls to tempt the New Zealand batsmen. But the last ball of the 24th over took the inside edge of Conway’s bat and went to the wickets. Had Kuldeep Yadav taken a simple catch at third man in the fifth over, when Nicholls was on five, India would not have had to wait for their first wicket. Siraj dismissed Will Young with a slower ball, while Prasidh Krishna (60/2) dismissed Mitchell Haye (12) in the 37th over. Glenn Phillips looked a bit sluggish and was dismissed by Kuldeep Yadav. New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell was run out by a brilliant hit by Shreyas Iyer. Debutant Christian Clarke scored an unbeaten 24 off 17 balls with three fours.
&w=360&resize=360,240&ssl=1 "India missed the record score made in Birmingham, a small hundred to miss out")
&w=360&resize=360,240&ssl=1 "It was broken with audience after defeat … Cricketer … Safety Employee … Video Widel")