Virat Kohli made a memorable return to action in the first ODI against New Zealand, scoring a brilliant 74 off just 51 deliveries during India’s successful chase in Auckland on Wednesday, November 4. However, apart from his impressive batting performance, the former Indian captain also grabbed attention for an amusing incident involving his wristwatch.
During the match, Kohli was spotted searching for a missing pin from his watch alongside Indian skipper Shubman Gill. Pictures and videos of the unusual moment quickly surfaced on social media, catching the attention of cricket fans.
The incident occurred in the 18th over when New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy bowled a bouncer that struck Kohli’s wristwatch. The impact caused the watch to fly into the air and land behind the stumps. Kohli and Gill subsequently began looking for a missing component of the watch.
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After a brief search, the on-field umpire managed to locate the missing pin and handed it over to Kohli. The star batter broke into a smile as the crowd cheered the moment. He then safely placed the tiny component in his pocket before getting back to the game.
Virat Kohli is searching for his pin of his watch https://t.co/it8eY7Wxkm
— BackToLobby (@_backtolobby) November 4, 2026
At the time, Kohli was batting on 65 and needed another 34 runs to help India reach the revised DLS target.
Kohli got back his watch pin, look at the reaction of crowd 😭🔥 https://t.co/5N0QQNMRSx
— catrick (@269signingoff) November 4, 2026
Earlier, ShubamnGill won the toss and elected to field first against the Black Caps. New Zealand struggled to build momentum, losing wickets at regular intervals. Tim Seifert top-scored for the hosts with 38 off 43 balls, while Blair Tickner contributed 34 off 23 deliveries.
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India’s chase suffered an early setback when Rohit Sharma was dismissed for a six-ball duck. However, Kohli and Gill steadied the innings with a crucial 113-run partnership. Heavy rain interrupted the second innings, reducing India’s target to 143 runs from 32 overs under the DLS method. The visitors completed the chase in the 23rd over, securing a five-wicket victory with 56 balls to spare.
