Virat Kohli faced another disappointing outing in the fifth and final ODI against New Zealand, as the former India captain was dismissed for just five runs at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Sunday.
His latest failure saw him repeat an unwanted record that he had last registered in a bilateral ODI series against Pakistan during the 2012-13 season.
Kohli was dismissed by New Zealand pacer Matthew Fisher in the eighth over of India's innings. Looking to play a delivery outside the off stump towards the off side, the right-hander got a thick outside edge, which was safely caught by wicketkeeper Tim Seifert.
The 38-year-old walked back after scoring five runs off seven deliveries, leaving India struggling at 33/2. It was his third consecutive single-digit score in the series, following his seven-run effort in the second ODI and a duck in the fourth match.
Virat Kohli Repeats Rare Unwanted ODI Record
Kohli's latest dismissal meant he recorded three single-digit scores in a bilateral ODI series for only the second time in his international career.
The previous instance came during Pakistan's tour of India in 2012-13, when he registered scores of 0, 6 and 7 across the three-match series.
The star batter has also recorded three single-digit scores in two multi-team ODI tournaments. In the 2011 ODI World Cup and the Carlton Mid ODI Tri-Series in Australia during the 2014-15 season. Questions are now being asked about whether he can play in the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Most Instances Of Three Single-Digit Scores In An ODI Series Or Tournament For Virat Kohli
2011 ODI World Cup – 3
Pakistan in India, 2012-13 – 3
Carlton Mid ODI Tri-Series, Australia, 2014-15 – 3
India vs New Zealand, 2026 – 3
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Kohli Finishes New Zealand ODI Series With 86 Runs
Kohli began the five-match assignment on a promising note, scoring 74 off just 51 deliveries in the opening ODI. However, he failed to carry that momentum into the remaining matches.
His scores in the series read 74, 7, 0 and 5, giving him a total of 86 runs across four innings. The experienced batter was unable to make a significant contribution in India's final three outings.
His struggles also coincided with India's batting difficulties in the closing stages of the series. The visitors were bowled out for just 89 in the fourth ODI before managing 209 in the series finale.