IND vs NZ, Champions Trophy: Virat Kohli needs century against New Zealand to break Sachin Tendulkar's record of....

On Sunday, March 2, India will play New Zealand in their last group A match at the Dubai International Stadium.  Since both sides have already guaranteed their places in the semi-finals with victories against Bangladesh and Pakistan, this crucial match will determine the group winner. Virat Kohli, who just struck a century against Pakistan, enters this game in excellent form. Against New Zealand, the renowned Indian batsman now has an opportunity to set a noteworthy global record.

Along with Ricky Ponting and Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli currently has the record of six ODI hundreds against New Zealand. Kohli will surpass this record and become the player with the most ODI hundreds against the Kiwis if he is able to score another century in Dubai on Sunday.

Moreover, if Kohli hits a century in the upcoming match, he will notch his 52nd ODI ton, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record of 51 centuries in Test Cricket. Additionally, Kohli needs 51 more runs against New Zealand to reach 703 runs in Champions Trophy history, which would make him India's highest run-scorer in the tournament, overtaking Shikhar Dhawan's total of 701 runs.

If Kohli scores 85 runs against New Zealand on Sunday, he would become one of the few hitters to reach 3000 international runs in all forms against New Zealand, joining an exclusive group that includes Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis, and Joe Root.  With 1645 ODI runs against New Zealand so far, Kohli needs just 105 more to overtake Sachin Tendulkar's 1750-run mark and take the lead in runs scored by India against this opponent.

India and New Zealand are gearing up to clash in the Champions Trophy for just the second time ever. Their first meeting was in the final of the 2000 edition, which sadly ended in defeat for India. The two teams last faced each other in an ICC event during the 2023 ODI World Cup semifinal, where India came out on top and Virat Kohli broke Sachin Tendulkar's record for the most ODI centuries. A win on March 2nd would solidify India's spot at the top of the group, preparing them to take on the runner-up from the other group in the next round.

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