New Zealand made history on Sunday, January 18, 2026, securing their first-ever One Day International (ODI) series victory on Indian soil. Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips smashed commanding centuries in the decisive third match in Indore, leading the Black Caps to a 41-run win over India. This remarkable achievement saw New Zealand clinch the three-match series 2-1, despite a valiant 124-run effort from India's star batter Virat Kohli.[icc-cricket+3]
Black Caps Set Dominant Total
After India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to field, New Zealand faced an early challenge, losing two quick wickets for just 5 runs. Devon Conway departed for 5, and Henry Nicholls for a golden duck. Will Young and Daryl Mitchell then began to rebuild the innings, with Young contributing 30 runs before his dismissal.This brought Glenn Phillips to the crease, joining Mitchell, and the pair launched a spectacular counter-attack.[icc-cricket+3]
Mitchell and Phillips forged a monumental 219-run partnership for the fourth wicket, pulling New Zealand out of trouble at 58 for 3.Daryl Mitchell was in exceptional form, scoring his ninth ODI hundred, and his second successive century in the series. He finished with a career-best 137 runs from 131 balls, hitting 15 fours and 3 sixes.Glenn Phillips provided explosive support, reaching his second ODI century off just 83 balls. Phillips hammered 106 runs from 88 deliveries, including 9 fours and 3 sixes.Their record-breaking stand propelled New Zealand to a formidable total of 337 for 8 in their 50 overs.Captain Michael Bracewell added a late cameo of 28 not out from 18 balls to boost the score further.[icc-cricket+16]
Kohli's Valiant Chase Falls Short
Chasing a daunting target of 338, India's innings started shakily. Openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill fell cheaply, followed by Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, leaving India struggling at 71 for 4 around the 13th over mark.Virat Kohli, however, stood firm and led India's fightback with a magnificent century.He scored 124 runs from 108 balls, including 10 fours and 3 sixes.This was Kohli's 54th ODI hundred and his 85th international century across all formats.[icc-cricket+9]
Kohli found crucial support from Nitish Kumar Reddy, who scored a fine half-century (53 runs), building an 88-run partnership for the fifth wicket.After Reddy's dismissal, Harshit Rana joined Kohli, and the pair added a quick 99 runs, with Rana smashing a whirlwind 52 runs from 43 balls.Kohli's century also saw him surpass Ricky Ponting to become the highest run-scorer at number three in ODI cricket history.He also set a new record for the most ODI centuries against New Zealand, with seven tons.[icc-cricket+9]
Despite Kohli's heroic efforts, India continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. New Zealand's bowlers maintained discipline, with Kristian Clarke and Zakary Foulkes claiming three wickets each.Jayden Lennox also contributed with two wickets.Kohli was eventually caught by Daryl Mitchell off Kristian Clarke's bowling, effectively ending India's hopes.India were bowled out for 296 in 46 overs, falling short by 41 runs.[foxsports+7]
Historic Milestone for New Zealand
This series victory marks a truly historic moment for New Zealand cricket. It is the first time the Black Caps have won an ODI series in India, a feat they had failed to achieve in seven previous attempts dating back to 1988.The team achieved this significant milestone despite missing several key players, including captain Kane Williamson, Mitchell Santner, Tom Latham, Rachin Ravindra, and Jacob Duffy.[foxsports+4]
Daryl Mitchell was deservedly named Player of the Match for his outstanding century and also secured the Player of the Series award, having amassed 352 runs in the three matches.New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell praised his team's collective effort. "We're the sum of all the parts and we really try to work together as a group - that's part of the Kiwi way," Bracewell said."We're just a small country from the bottom of the world and we try to work together to take on some of the bigger countries in the world."He added that such victories are "pretty special" for the group.This ODI series win follows New Zealand's equally historic 3-0 Test series sweep in India in October 2024.[1news+8]
Looking Ahead
India captain Shubman Gill acknowledged areas for improvement for his side, while also commending individual batting performances. "The way Virat is batting, that's definitely a plus always," Gill said.He also praised Harshit Rana's batting at number eight, calling it "not easy."[foxsports+1]
Both teams will now turn their attention to a five-match Twenty20 International (T20I) series, scheduled to begin on Wednesday, January 21.This T20I series will serve as crucial preparation for both India and New Zealand ahead of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, which starts on February 7 and will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.The historic ODI series win will undoubtedly give New Zealand significant momentum as they look towards future international assignments.[icc-cricket+5]
