"He walks the talk": Shreyas Iyer heaps praise on Virat Kohli after Vadodara win

Shreyas Iyer lauded teammate Virat Kohli after the legendary batter's 93-run innings helped India chase a 301-run target against New Zealand in the opening match of the three-match series, on Sunday at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi, Vadodara.

Kohli scored 93 off 91 balls, helping India clinch the match by four wickets while chasing New Zealand's 301-run target and gain a 1-0 lead in the series. In his innings, the 37-year-old hit eight boundaries and one six.

Notably, this marked Kohli's seventh consecutive fifty-plus score in the 50-over cricket since the third match of the ODI series in Australia in October 2025. Of the seven fifty-plus scores, Kohli has three centuries (two in ODIs and one in the Vijay Hazare Trophy). His last seven scores read: 93, 77, 131, 65*, 102, 135, and 74*.

With the 93-run knock, he also surpassed Kumar Sangakkara's tally of 28,016 runs to become the second-highest run-getter across all formats in international cricket, only behind Sachin Tendulkar. Now in 557 matches, Kohli has 28,068 runs to his name at an average of 52.66, with 84 centuries in 146 centuries.

In a video released by the Board of Control for Cricket India (BCCI), Shreyas Iyer praised Kohli's innings, highlighting his consistent performance over the years, effective strike rotation, and ability to take on bowlers, saying Kohli "walks the talk".

"Whatever we talk about his (Virat Kohli) innings, it would be less. We have been seeing it for so many years now he's been doing it consistently. The way he rotates the strike, he takes on the bowlers. He basically walks the talk," says Shreyas Iyer in the video.

Iyer also reflected on his comeback into the Indian side and starting the series with a win. He said it felt great to return to the team and share the dressing room again, calling the victory a "great start" to the series.

"Great start for the series. Coming back after a while into the team, it feels great to be a part of this squad. More than that it was a great feeling to share the dressing room with each and every one. I was missing it for quite a while but I am happy to be back," Iyer said. (ANI)

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