Cricket is a funny game, honestly. One day you’re on top of the world, and the next, you’re watching a historic streak vanish into the thin air of Indore. If you are looking for who won today cricket match, the answer is New Zealand. They didn't just win; they absolutely stunned India by 41 runs at the Holkar Cricket Stadium this Sunday, January 18, 2026.
This wasn't just another game on the calendar. By clinching this third ODI, the Black Caps secured a 2-1 series victory. It is their first-ever bilateral ODI series win on Indian soil. Ever. Let that sink in for a second. Even in the 90s or the early 2000s, with all their legends, they couldn't pull this off. But today, they did.
What Really Happened With the Series Decider
New Zealand set a massive target of 338. It’s Indore, so you expect runs, but 337/8 is a mountain in a pressure cooker final. Daryl Mitchell was basically a cheat code today. He smashed 137 off 131 balls. It was his second consecutive century. He’s been in the form of his life, making the Indian bowlers look quite ordinary at times.
Then you had Glenn Phillips. He played the perfect foil, then took off like a rocket to score 106. Their 219-run partnership for the fourth wicket was the backbone of the Kiwi innings. India’s pacers started well—Arshdeep Singh was breathing fire early on—but the middle overs were a graveyard for the home side’s plans.
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India’s chase was... well, it was the Virat Kohli show, and not much else. He hit his 54th ODI century, a masterclass 124 that had everyone off their seats. For a moment, it felt like 2016 again. He was finding gaps, sprinting like a teenager, and kept the dream alive. But the top order collapsed around him. Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill were back in the hut before the powerplay really got going.
The Turning Points and Key Stats
- New Zealand’s Total: 337/8 (50 overs)
- India’s Response: 296 all out (46 overs)
- The Hero: Daryl Mitchell (Player of the Match and Series)
- The Lone Warrior: Virat Kohli (124 off 108 balls)
Harshit Rana gave us a bit of hope with a late 52, and Nitish Kumar Reddy chipped in with a fifty too. But when Kohli fell in the 46th over, trying to launch Kristian Clarke over long-off, the stadium went dead silent. You could literally hear a pin drop. When Kuldeep Yadav was run out shortly after, it was all over.
Why Today’s Result Matters So Much
This loss is going to sting for a while. It’s the first time India has lost a home ODI series since early 2019. It also adds to the growing pile of "unwanted records" under head coach Gautam Gambhir. Fans are already venting on social media, questioning the tactical shifts and the aggressive rotation of players.
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New Zealand, on the other hand, looked incredibly composed. They’ve managed to do what no other Kiwi side could. Their fielding was sharp, their bowling plans were clear, and they didn't panic even when Kohli was going berserk.
Other Cricket Results Today
While the Indore showdown took the spotlight, there was plenty of other action across the globe:
- Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier: Ireland Women beat Papua New Guinea by 41 runs in Kathmandu. Orla Prendergast was the star there, scoring a half-century and bowling a ridiculously tight spell.
- Big Bash League (BBL|15): The Sydney Sixers edged out the Brisbane Heat by 5 wickets in a high-scoring thriller.
- U-19 World Cup Warm-ups: England U-19s cruised to an 8-wicket win over Zimbabwe, looking very sharp ahead of the main tournament.
If you’re tracking the Indian team, the focus now shifts. There’s no ODI cricket for the next five months. It’s all T20 mode from here as the T20 World Cup looms in February. The selectors have some serious thinking to do about the middle-order stability and whether the "Gambhir era" needs a tactical reset.
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For now, the story is New Zealand. They came, they saw, and they finally conquered the final frontier of Indian cricket.
Next Steps for Cricket Fans:
- Watch the Highlights: Check out the official BCCI or New Zealand Cricket portals for the Daryl Mitchell-Glenn Phillips partnership; it was a clinic in middle-over batting.
- Monitor Squad Announcements: With the T20 World Cup just weeks away, keep an eye on the fitness updates for the Indian squad, especially the bowling rotation.
- Review the Rankings: Expect Daryl Mitchell to make a massive jump in the ICC ODI Batting Rankings after this historic run of form.