Kohli became the ‘Player of the Match’, but these 5 stalwarts who won the Vadodara ODI were the real game-changers.

IND vs NZ 1st ODI: The three-match ODI series between India and New Zealand started on Sunday, January 11, 2026 in Vadodara and after the thrill of the first match till the last over, Team India won by 4 wickets (1 over remaining). As the hero of this victory, Virat Kohli was chosen as ‘Player of the Match’ for his brilliant half-century inning of 93 runs. But anyone who watched the entire match knows that this victory was not the story of any one player, but of a collective effort – where five players made decisive contributions at different stages to take India to the destination.

Shubman Gill: Balance in captaincy, wisdom in batting

Captain Shubman Gill wisely laid the foundation of the run-chase. When Rohit Sharma was aggressive in the powerplay, Gill took charge of the strike rotation. After Rohit’s dismissal, Gill changed gears and played a steady inning of 56 (71 balls) with the help of 3 fours and 2 sixes. His second-wicket partnership of 117 (108 balls) with Kohli got the chase back on track, and it was from here that India regained confidence.

Shreyas Iyer: 49 gave a strong position to the team

Vice-captain Shreyas Iyer, who returned from injury, showed why he is reliable in big matches. After Gill’s dismissal, Iyer made an important partnership of 77 (76 balls) with Kohli and gave pace to the scoreboard by scoring 49 runs in just 47 balls. Missing out on a half-century was definitely a disappointment, but his role was decisive in taking it beyond 200.

Harshit Rana: Knock of the emerging all-rounder

Young Harshit Rana made an impact in both the halves of the match. He broke New Zealand’s run-rate by giving two initial blows with the ball (both openers), and then by playing a fearless cameo inning of 29 runs at number eight in batting, he took the team to the threshold of victory. He made an important partnership of 37 (31 balls) with KL. There was a discussion in the cricket circles that if Harshit had stayed till the end, his name would have been ahead in the race for ‘Player of the Match’.

KL Rahul: Breakthrough with gloves, finish with the bat

The team’s ‘Mr Cool’ KL Rahul played a double role. First he controlled New Zealand’s middle order by taking 2 catches in wicketkeeping, then under pressure he took the chase closer by staying on the field with the injured player (Washington Sundar), there was a small but match-winning partnership of 27 runs between Sundar and Rahul. 2 fours and 1 six in the 49th over – these were the moments which brought the match in India’s grasp. Let us tell you that KL played a brilliant match-winning inning of 29 runs in 21 balls while remaining unbeaten.

Mohammad Siraj: Effect of ‘Mian Magic’

Mohammad Siraj, who returned to ODI after a long gap, showed accuracy with the new ball and in the middle overs. 8 overs, 40 runs, 2 wickets—with an economy of around 5, they put a break on the run-flow. His most important victim was set batsman Daryl Mitchell (84 runs), which slowed down the pace of the Kiwi innings and gave India a breather in the chase.

Kohli’s class, but the winning formula is ‘teamwork’

Virat Kohli’s innings of 93 runs was the shining chapter of this win—class, control and timely acceleration. But the real story of this match is that India won with a mixed performance. The captain’s wisdom, the contribution of the middle order, patience in finishing and well-timed breakthroughs in bowling—all these together made Vadodara memorable.