"King's Out There": New Zealand Media Manager's Remark On Virat Kohli Goes Viral

Indian cricket team star batter Virat Kohli broke multiple records as he slammed a brilliant century during the 3rd ODI encounter against New Zealand in Indore on Sunday. Chasing a mammoth target of 338, India found themselves in deep trouble after losing 4 wickets before reaching the 100-run mark. However, Virat stitched together useful partnerships with NItish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana to keep the hosts in the game. While the target proved to be too much for India, renowned sports presenter Jatin Sapru revealed how Kohli's presence kept the New Zealand camp worried despite being in a great position.

New Zealand Media Manager - King's out there in the middle. Not out of it yet.

- It's not over because Virat Kohli is still therepic.twitter.com/ZZr3aYwJKS

— Virat Kohli Fan Club (@Trend_VKohli) January 19, 2026

“Harshit Rana had just walked out to bat with Virat Kohli, when New Zealand's media manager, who is a good friend, I texted him saying ‘Something special could be around the corner'. Guess his reply? ‘King's out there in the middle. Not out of it yet.' Virat Kohli has a global reputation which he has earned over the last decade and a half. New Zealand was 160 runs ahead, needed just four wickets, but their supporters still aren't thinking about it because Virat was around,” Sapru said 

Meanwhile, ormer India all-rounder Irfan Pathan lauded the star batter Virat Kohli after his 54th ODI century in the third and final ODI of the recently-concluded three-match series against New Zealand on Sunday at Indore's Holkar Stadium, and called Kohli India's best ODI batter.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Pathan praised Kohli's consistency and longevity, noting that for over a decade, from 2013 to 2026, he has consistently been regarded as India's best ODI batter. He highlighted that Kohli has scored runs under multiple captains, including MS Dhoni, himself, Rohit Sharma, and now Shubman Gill.

"Virat Kohli once again showed why he is such a great player. Back in 2013, when I was also playing, people used to say Virat Kohli is the best batter in the Indian team currently. In 2016, people also used to call him the best batter in the Indian team. Now, 10 years later in 2026, people are still calling Virat Kohli the best batter in India's ODI side. There's no doubt about it. He scored runs under MS Dhoni's captaincy, under his own captaincy, under Rohit Sharma's captaincy, and now under young Shubman Gill's captaincy too," Pathan said.

Pathan also praised Virat Kohli's enduring fitness and consistency, calling him a "Run Machine" and noting that he continues to score centuries.

"Another 100 for Virat 'Run Machine' Kohli. When we saw Virat Kohli's fitness, the way he runs, there's absolutely no change in his fitness. In fact, it looks like he has only gotten better. He plays, scores runs and repeats. Unfortunately, the century came in the losing cause, but it was a magnificent century, nonetheless," the former Indian cricketer said.

(With ANI inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

Virat Kohli India Cricket Team New Zealand Cricket Team India vs New Zealand 2026 Cricket