Vadodara: India vice-captain Shreyas Iyer lavished praise on Virat Kohli, saying the batting great has been “walking the talk” for years, the latest being his masterclass in a successful run chase against New Zealand in the ODI series opener.

Kohli struck a fluent 93 off 91 balls as India chased down a target of 301 to register a four-wicket win and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match rubber here on Sunday.

During the innings, Kohli also became the fastest player to reach 28,000 international runs across formats and the second-highest run-scorer in international cricket, behind Sachin Tendulkar.

Vadodara: India’s Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and others celebrate after winning the first ODI cricket match of a series between India and New Zealand, at Kotambi Stadium, in Vadodara, Gujarat, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (PTI)

“Whatever we talk about his innings, it would be less. We have been seeing it for so many years now he’s been doing it consistently. The way he rotates the strike and he takes on the bowlers, he basically walks the talk,” Iyer said in a video posted by BCCI.

Iyer, who returned to international action after a long injury layoff following a spleen laceration with internal bleeding sustained during the third ODI against Australia in Sydney in October last year, said he was delighted to begin the series on a winning note.

“Great start to the series. Coming back after a while into the team, it feels great to be a part of this squad. More than that, it was a great feeling to share the dressing room with each and every one. I was missing it for quite a while, but I am happy to be back,” Iyer said.

Fast bowler Harshit Rana made an impact with the ball, dismissing openers Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls, before chipping in with a handy 29 off 23 balls down the order.

“The first wicket I took was of Nicholls. While I was planning to bowl wide to him but I hadn’t thought of a wide yorker but it landed right. The other wicket was of Devon Conway and it felt great to scalp two wickets in two back-to-back overs,” said Rana.

The 24-year-old added that he is working on his batting to contribute more at No. 8.

“The credit for my batting goes to my father because he always used to think that all-rounders get early chances for playing in the Indian team. I am developing my game in such a manner that I can contribute with 30-40 runs for the team, coming at number 8,” Rana added.

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