Virat Kohli achieved a new milestone in the first ODI against New Zealand, playing his 309th One Day International match. This surpasses former India captain Sourav Ganguly's record of 308 ODIs. Kohli now ranks fifth on the list of most ODIs played for India, joining legends like Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni. The series also marks the return of key players Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer.