IND vs NZ: Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer - India Trio eye Key Personal Milestones

As India commence their journey in 2026, the first match against New Zealand can also be special for individual milestones. India are up against the Kiwis on Sunday (January 11) as they play the first of

the three-match ODI series.

India's top batters Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and Virat Kohli head into the first ODI against New Zealand in Vadodara eyeing key personal milestones, while the match promises a high-scoring affair at the new Kotambi Stadium.

India fields a strong lineup, including captain Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shreyas Iyer, bolstered by spinners like Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel, against a second-string New Zealand side missing key players like Kane Williamson. The batter-friendly pitch could lead to a run feast unless one team collapses dramatically.

And as the hosts look to light up the Vadodara sky, the India trio may have an eye on personal glory.

Shreyas Iyer

Vice-captain Shreyas Iyer needs just 83 runs to reach 3,000 ODI runs after 67 innings. Achieving this in the series would make him the fastest Indian to the milestone, surpassing Shikhar Dhawan's 72 innings. In the opener alone, it would tie him with Babar Azam as the joint third-fastest globally, behind Hashim Amla's 57 innings. Iyer is returning to the India setup for the first time since his spleen injury last October in Australia.

Shubman Gill

Captain Shubman Gill requires 182 runs for 3,000 ODI runs in 58 innings. Hitting the mark in this series would crown him the fastest Indian by matches and innings. Globally, he would rank second-fastest, trailing only Hashim Amla. This will also be Shubman's last involvement with the Indian team before July, when India travel to England for a limited overs series.

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli stands 25 runs from 28,000 international runs, joining Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara as the third player overall. Additionally, 42 more runs would eclipse Sangakkara's 28,016 to make Kohli the second-highest run-scorer across formats.