Kohli scored 93 off 91 balls, hitting eight fours and a six. The innings marked his seventh consecutive score of over fifty in 50-over cricket since the third ODI of the series against Australia in October 2025. Iyer praised Kohli’s consistency over the years, his ability to rotate the strike effectively and his knack for taking on bowlers, stating that Kohli really ‘walks the talk’.
“Whatever we talk about (Virat Kohli) innings, it would be less. We have seen it for so many years, now he is doing it consistently. The way he rotates the strike, he is taking on the bowlers. He is basically doing what he says,” Iyer said in the video released by the BCCI.
Of Kohli’s seven consecutive fifty-plus scores, three have been centuries, two in ODIs and one in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. With his 93-run knock, he also surpassed Kumar Sangakkara’s tally of 28,016 runs to become the second-highest run-scorer across all formats in international cricket, trailing only Sachin Tendulkar. In 557 matches, Kohli has amassed 28,068 runs at an average of 52.66, including 84 centuries and 146 half-centuries.
Iyer also reflected on his return to the Indian side and the team’s winning start in the series. He said it felt great to be back with the squad and sharing the dressing room again, describing the win as an ideal start to the three-match series.
“Great start to the series. After coming back to the team for a while, it feels great to be part of this squad. Plus, it was a great feeling to share the dressing room with everyone. I missed it for a while but I’m happy to be back,” Iyer said.
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