Virat Kohli becomes the first player in ODI history to score 13,000 runs at number 3

During the match between India and New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland on Wednesday, the starting team players impressed with their fielding. First, Rohit Sharma took out Daryl Mitchell with a brilliant throw, followed by Virat Kohli drawing widespread attention with his magnificent catch.

This decisive moment occurred in the 29th over of New Zealand's innings, on the third ball. Anshul Kamboj was bowling, and Nathan Smith was at the crease. Kamboj delivered a full toss, which Smith attempted to drive. The ball grazed the outside edge of the bat and quickly flew towards the second slip.

Virat Kohli, who was present, made a throw to the right, jumping to catch the ball just inches above the ground. Kohli was completely confident in this catch, and the television umpire confirmed it as a clean catch after reviewing the replay. Nathan Smith was dismissed, having scored only 1 run off 9 balls.

Prior to this, Rohit Sharma also attracted the attention of spectators with his fielding, playing a key role in the dismissal of Daryl Mitchell. Rohit quickly ran to the ball from mid-wicket and executed a superb angled throw. KL Rahul, demonstrating agility behind the wicket, dismissed Mitchell.

After catching the ball, Virat Kohli displayed his characteristic celebration gesture. He ran a short distance, then tossed the ball towards the umpire, followed by his famous 'Bow and Arrow' ceremony. He also celebrated by smiling at his teammate and sticking out his tongue. It is noted that Virat Kohli turned 38 that day.

Virat Kohli did not stop there. In the 32nd over of New Zealand's innings, on the first ball, he also caught Kyle Jamieson. On a short ball, Arshdeep Singh blocked the shot with the bat, but the ball went directly into the hands of Kohli, who was standing at point. Jamieson was dismissed, having scored 1 run off 6 balls. With this dismissal, New Zealand lost its eighth player.

Thus, two experienced players from the Indian team, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, left a bright impression with their fielding in Auckland.

The New Zealand squad for the Auckland match included: Tim Seifert, Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wicketkeeper), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner (captain), Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Df, and Blair Tickner.

The India squad for the Auckland match consisted of: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Naman Dheer, Anshul Kamboj, Akib Nabi, Guruon Barar, and Arshdeep Singh.

In the five-match ODI series between India and New Zealand, all fans' attention is focused on the return of great players. However, the Indian cricket legion Virat Kohli draws the most interest.

Virat Kohli is on the verge of setting a grand record in the first match of this series, which no player in ODI history has managed to achieve so far. If Kohli scores 12 runs in the first game, he will achieve this miracle.

By scoring these 12 runs, Kohli will become the first and only player in the world to reach the mark of 13,000 runs while batting at number three in ODIs.

The number three position in ODI format is considered the backbone of the attack. Batting at this position, Virat Kohli has scored 12,988 runs in 250 matches, demonstrating an impressive average of 61.55 and a strike rate of 95.4. Among his achievements are 48 centuries and 69 half-centuries.

In the list of leaders for this statistic, former Australian captain Ricky Ponting is in second place, having scored 12,662 runs. Besides Ponting, no one in the world has managed to cross the 10,000-run barrier at number three. Furthermore, when it comes to the biggest record for runs at a specific position in cricket history, it belongs to the legendary Sachin Tendulkar (15,310 runs at the opening position).

For the New Zealand team, Virat Kohli has always been a serious problem. Over the last 16 years, Kohli has demonstrated outstanding results against the Kiwis in 36 ODIs, playing in 36 matches, including three abandoned matches. In these matches, he scored 1,897 runs with an average of 57.48, registering 7 centuries and 10 half-centuries against New Zealand.

This series holds special significance in the context of preparation for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Virat Kohli, who will soon turn 38, is currently in excellent form. In 2026, he scored 552 runs in 9 played matches, maintaining a strong average of 69, including 2 centuries (maximum 139*) and 3 half-centuries.