Wednesday morning lit up when Virat Kohli landed in Vadodara, met instantly by roaring crowds. The airport filled long before sunrise, people holding flags beneath clear skies. This moment sparks the final stretch toward the first clash with New Zealand – January 11, 2026, locked in stone. All eyes turn to BCA Stadium, nestled in Kotambi, where it all kicks off. A sudden wave of buzz now hums through every street.
People filled the arrival area well before Kohli showed up, shouting growing louder by the second. Energy jumped the moment he stepped past the doorway. Shouts of “Kohli, Kohli” crashed through the room like a storm moving fast. At first, guards stayed strict, keeping everyone back where they belonged. Only then did his step shift toward the exit – suddenly, energy broke loose. Folks surged ahead out of nowhere, shoving through space. Shouts tore across sound as hands reached far beyond railings. Officers snapped into motion, building a wall close around while nudging each pace ahead. Forward drift dragged, wobbled, yet found rhythm amid pushing on all edges. The last barrier shut tight just before wheels rolled off.
A handful landed as well, besides Kohli. Arriving in Vadodara was Nitish Reddy, a teammate alongside him. Others from India’s squad are due soon after. Training picks up pace with the series drawing close.
Back In Form And Setting New Records
A 37-year-old man famous for hitting the ball well seems back in form. After many years away, he returned to the Vijay Hazare Trophy – stepping once more into List A cricket after a full decade and a half. What happened next? He opened with a firm 131, followed by steady contributions totaling 77 runs over two games.
Just settling in, Kohli slipped past 16,000 List A runs here – quicker than any cricketer ever has. This speed beat even Tendulkar’s old record. With little fuss, another milestone joined a journey full of them.
Back in action with the national squad during that Australian tour near the end of last year, his run of solid performances began. Things started rough – two outs without much scoreboard movement – but within weeks, he looked like himself again. In the recent ODIs against South Africa, runs poured from his blade, one hundred after another, rising above the rest of India’s lineup.
Closing In on Another Historic Milestone
Nearly fifty runs short of a moment few reach, Kohli moves nearer to changing what’s written in cricket’s past. If he covers that distance as India meets New Zealand, what comes next is uncharted. Two men only have walked that path – Tendulkar, earlier still, Sachin. It’s how fast he climbs that sets him apart, more than sheer numbers. Quiet moments slip into records without noise. Being only the third to get there might seem rare, but this time it carries a separate weight.
Kohli sits on 27,975 runs after stepping up to bat 623 times – 84 centuries, 145 half-centuries tucked in. Tendulkar needed 644 innings for that mark. Sangakkara, 666. That gap tells its own story. Not merely the number matters. The rhythm does. How regularly he finds his way across the line.
Dominant Record Against New Zealand
It’s clear – Kohli handles New Zealand in ODIs like few others can. Across 33 matches, he’s piled up 1,657 runs, smashing six centuries along with nine half-centuries. Right from game one, that sort of output tightens the screws on visiting sides.
With the opening game near, excitement builds. Virat Kohli arrives in Vadodara moving smoothly, fit, ready – his history already telling part of the story. Should old form carry forward, new moments may come by Sunday.
