IND vs NZ 2026: ‘I send my awards to my mum’ - Kohli’s witty take after 45th POTM win

Published - 11 Jan 2026, 23:56 IST | Updated - 11 Jan 2026, 23:58 IST

Former Indian captain Virat Kohli won his 45th Player of the Match award, placing him just behind Sanath Jayasuriya (48) and Sachin Tendulkar (62) on the all-time list. Kohli opened up about the emotions associated with such accolades.

The veteran scored 93 off 91 balls in India’s run chase against New Zealand during the first ODI in Vadodara. When asked whether he keeps track of the number of Player of the Match awards he has won, Kohli responded with a witty answer. He shared a crucial 118-run partnership with Shubman Gill and later added 77 runs with Shreyas Iyer. Kohli was eventually dismissed in the 40th over by Kyle Jamieson.

"No, honestly, I have no idea. I send it to my mum in Gurgaon. She likes keeping all the trophies. She feels proud of it,” Kohli said in the post-match presentation.

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Kohli also reflected on his journey as a modern-day great, expressing gratitude and appreciation to God. He mentioned that he is proud of his gameplay and believes that all talent ultimately comes from God.

“Well, honestly. If I look back at my whole journey, it is nothing short of a dream come true for me. I have always mentioned that I have always known my abilities. How much ability I had when I came in, and I had to work a lot more to get to the place where I am today. God has blessed me with way too much for me to complain about anything. I feel nothing but gratitude. I always look at my journey with a lot of grace and a lot of gratitude in my heart and I feel proud about it,” said Kohli.

The legendary batter also elaborated on his mindset and approach while batting at number three, emphasising the importance of staying calm and composed, an approach that has contributed significantly to his recent consistency.

“Well, the basic idea is I bat at number 3. If the situation is tricky, I back myself to counterattack now rather than to play the situation. Because some ball has your name on it, no point waiting for it. You back yourself enough to put the pressure back on the back foot,” Kohli said.

“Honestly, if I am brutally honest about the way I am playing right now, I am not thinking about the milestones at all. Like, if we were batted first today, I would have gone a bit harder. Even with the chase, with a total on the board, I had to kind of buckle down. The experience kicks in but I just wanted to take the team in a winning position,” he added.