New Zealand fast bowler Jacob Duffy had a rather amusing description of Virat Kohli after India's five-wicket victory in the first ODI at Eden Park, Auckland. Reflecting on his experience of bowling to the Indian superstar, Duffy jokingly admitted that Kohli had been "annoying", particularly during their time together at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL.

Duffy's light-hearted remark came after Kohli produced another impressive innings against New Zealand on November 4. The 37-year-old scored 74 off just 51 deliveries, striking 13 boundaries and a six to help India chase down a revised target of 143 in a rain-affected contest.

Jacob Duffy Explains Why Bowling to Kohli Is Difficult

Duffy's comments offered an interesting insight into what makes Kohli such a challenging batter to bowl to. Having shared the RCB dressing room with the former India captain during IPL 2026, the New Zealand pacer had an opportunity to experience his batting ability at close quarters.

Duffy recalled facing Kohli in the nets in Bengaluru and suggested that the Indian batter made life difficult for him even during practice sessions.

The New Zealand bowler also spoke about Kohli's ability to adapt to different conditions. He highlighted the batter's comfort against short-pitched deliveries, particularly his hook and pull shots, while also pointing to his ability to use the pace of the ball and find the straight boundaries.

For Duffy, Kohli's strength lies in having very few obvious weaknesses that bowlers can consistently exploit.

'There's not many holes in that man's game' 🗣️

Jacob Duffy praises Virat Kohli after the 1st ODI#Cricket #JacobDuffy #ViratKohli #NZvsIND pic.twitter.com/zdgkytZ5Gh

— CREX (@Crex_live) November 4, 2026

Kohli Continues His Record-Breaking Run Against New Zealand

Kohli's 74-run knock was another significant contribution to his remarkable ODI career. During the Auckland match, he also surpassed Sachin Tendulkar to become the highest run-scorer in ODI run chases, taking his tally to 8,741 runs.

India's victory was built on a disciplined bowling performance after the visitors won the toss and elected to field. New Zealand were dismissed for 185 in 40.2 overs, with Arshdeep Singh claiming four wickets and Gurnoor Brar taking three.

Rain interruptions reduced India's target to 143 from 32 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method. Kohli and Shubman Gill, who scored 37, helped India complete the chase comfortably, reaching 143 for five in 22.4 overs.

Jacob Duffy Expects New Zealand to Fight Back

Despite the opening defeat, Duffy remained confident about New Zealand's ability to respond during the series. He acknowledged that the hosts had not posted a sufficiently challenging total, particularly at a venue such as Eden Park, where chasing sides can take advantage of the conditions.

His comments also reflected the respect Kohli commands among international bowlers. Even after sharing a dressing room with him at RCB, Duffy found himself on the receiving end of the Indian batter's class.