Virat Kohli physically pushes Daryl Mitchell off field after Kiwi star destroys India in Indore ODI

A dramatic moment lit up the Holkar cricket Stadium in Indore when Virat Kohli shared a warm gesture with Daryl Mitchell after the New Zealand star’s brilliant knock finally came to an end in the deciding match of the three-match ODI series against India on January 18.

Mohammed Siraj slots in, Kuldeep Yadav seals it, and Darryl Mitchell’s dream run finally comes to an end

The moment happened when Mohammed Siraj bowled a slower ball down the field. Mitchell went for a powerful shot, but the timing wasn’t right. The ball flew off the top edge and went high towards deep backward square leg.

Kuldeep Yadav raced to the boundary and kept his eyes on the ball despite the glaring sun, then stepped back and completed a brilliant catch to give India a late but important lead.

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Virat Kohli’s gentle push to Daryl Mitchell raises eyebrows in Indore

The catch ended Mitchell’s sensational knock of 137 runs off 131 balls, embellished with 15 fours and 3 sixes against India. It also brought down the curtain on an impressive ODI series, with Mitchell damaging India by hitting back-to-back hundreds.

When Daryl Mitchell returned, Virat Kohli approached him near the boundary rope, applauded his effort, and gently pushed him across the rope in a friendly and respectful gesture. The gesture immediately caught the attention of the fans inside the stadium, and the moment spread widely across social media.

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– Drizzyat12Kennyat8 (@45kennyat7PM) CAnShApy 18, 2026

A record running feast for Mitchell

Meanwhile, Daryl Mitchell absolutely owned India in the three-match ODI series, rewriting New Zealand’s record books in the process. The right-handed batsman has made 352 runs, making it the highest ever total by a New Zealand player in a three-match bilateral ODI series.

The 34-year-old has also made New Zealand’s elite list. His knock of 137 runs in Indore became the fourth highest individual score by a New Zealand batsman against India in the 50-over format. Tom Latham still holds top spot with an unbeaten 145 in Auckland in 2022.

Also Read: Dramatic on-field collision as Kuldeep Yadav tries to stop Daryl Mitchell from running in Indore ODI

Michael Bracewell follows him with 140 runs in Hyderabad in 2023, while Devon Conway scored 138 in Indore in 2023. Mitchell dominates the chart with several big scores against India. Before the Indore strike, he had earlier scored 134 runs in Wankhede in 2023, 131* in Rajkot in 2026, and 130 in Dharamsala.

Glenn Phillips and Darryl Mitchell create history against India in Indore

On the other hand, Glenn Phillips and Mitchell produced a stunning partnership of 219 runs off just 186 balls for the fourth wicket in the series decider against India in Indore. That stand is now the second-highest for fourth wickets or fewer against India in ODIs, just behind the 221* run partnership between Kane Williamson and Tom Latham at Auckland in 2022.

What makes this situation even more special is that it is the first time that two New Zealand players have scored centuries in the same ODI innings against India. Additionally, this is New Zealand’s second biggest partnership against India.

The record for the highest partnership still belongs to Tom Latham and Kane Williamson, who scored 221 runs in Auckland in 2022. Other great stands include Latham and Ross Taylor’s 200-run partnership at Wankhede in 2017 and Scott Stairs and Taylor’s 190-run stand at Dambulla in 2010.