Former India captain Virat Kohli once again grabbed attention, this time with a brilliant effort on the field during the first ODI against New Zealand in Auckland. Playing at Eden Park, Kohli pulled off a stunning one-handed catch to dismiss Nathan Smith.

Kohli has always been known for his fitness and athleticism, proving time and again that age is just a number. Even as he approaches the latter stages of his international career, the star batter continues to show why he remains one of the best fielders in the Indian team.

With Kohli having already retired from Test and T20I cricket, the 2027 ODI World Cup is expected to be his final appearance in Indian colours. The ongoing series also gives fans in New Zealand another opportunity to watch the batting great in action on their home soil.

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Virat Kohli Takes Stunning One-Handed Catch To Dismiss Nathan Smith

The moment came during the 29th over of New Zealand's innings. Anshul Kamboj bowled a delivery that tempted Nathan Smith into playing a drive. However, the batter managed only a thick outside edge.

Stationed at second slip, Kohli reacted quickly, dived towards his right and plucked the ball out of the air with one hand. The catch was inches above the ground and needed confirmation from the third umpire, who ruled that Kohli's fingers were underneath the ball.
Smith had to walk back after scoring just one run off nine deliveries, with Kohli completing a superb catch to give Kamboj his wicket.

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Kohli's Celebration Gets Eden Park Crowd Going

Kohli was visibly pumped after completing the catch. He briefly ran away in celebration before throwing the ball back towards the umpire. He then appeared to gesture towards his teammates with a 'told you' expression.

The former India captain also performed his trademark bow-and-arrow celebration before sticking his tongue out and sharing a cheeky smile with one of his teammates.

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The catch brought the Eden Park crowd to life, with fans breaking into loud 'Kohli, Kohli' chants. Videos of the stunning effort and his animated celebration soon started circulating on social media. Here is the video.

Coming back to the match, India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and opted to bowl and the Men in Blue are featuring with four seamers.

IND vs NZ Playing XIs

India (Playing XI): Shubman Gill(c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul(w), Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh.


New Zealand (Playing XI): Tim Seifert, Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(w), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner(c), Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Blair Tickner


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