'I send it to my mom.. ' – Virat Kohli shares touching moment after POTM award in IND vs NZ 2026 1st ODI

Team India’s star batter Virat Kohli made a heartwarming revelation after winning the Player of the Match award in the first ODI against New Zealand in Vadodara on Sunday, January 11. Kohli revealed that he usually sends his awards to his mother, as she likes to collect them and feels proud of his achievements.

The former India captain played a superb knock of 93 runs while chasing a stiff target of 301. He batted with great control and calmness, making sure India stayed ahead in the chase. His innings once again showed his experience and match awareness.

The former India captain stitched together important partnerships to take the match away from New Zealand. He added 118 runs with skipper Shubman Gill and later shared a 77-run stand with vice-captain Shreyas Iyer, setting up a strong platform for India’s win.

Kohli reflects on mindset, team-first approach and crowd behaviour

Speaking at the post-match presentation, Kohli said he no longer thinks about personal milestones and always focuses on helping the team win. He added that even if India had batted first, his approach would have been aggressive. As quoted by ESPNcricinfo, he said, "I send my awards to my mom, she's proud of them. If I look back at my whole journey, it's nothing short of a dream come true. I always knew my abilities and had to work to get where I have. God's given me way too much, I have a lot of gratitude. Honestly, the way I'm playing, I'm not thinking milestones. If we were batting first, I'd have gone harder. The experience does kick in, but the main thing was to get the team ahead and to a winning position."

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Kohli missed out on his 54th ODI century after mistiming a shot to mid-off, where Michael Bracewell took the catch off Kyle Jamieson’s bowling. Despite that, the 37-year-old reached a major milestone by going past Kumar Sangakkara to become the second-highest run-scorer across all formats.

When asked about fans booing other batters, Kohli said he does not like seeing any player treated that way. He mentioned that he has seen similar reactions towards MS Dhoni as well. Kohli said he prefers to stay focused on the game and feels grateful for the love he receives from the crowd. India will now aim to seal the series in the second ODI against New Zealand on January 14 in Rajkot.