New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips once again underlined why he is considered one of the finest fielders in modern-day cricket, producing a breathtaking effort during the first ODI against India in Vadodara on Sunday. Phillips’ near-miracle in the field instantly brought back memories of his iconic one-handed catch that dismissed Virat Kohli during the Champions Trophy 2025.
Fielding at backward point while India were chasing a target of 301, Phillips reacted in a flash to a fiercely struck shot from Shubman Gill, diving acrobatically and getting one hand to the ball. For a moment, it appeared that history might repeat itself, as the crowd and commentators held their breath. However, unlike the Champions Trophy moment, the ball spilled out of his grasp, much to India’s relief.
OMG! World’s finest fielder Phillips.🔥 🤯
— Jara (@JARA_Memer) January 11, 2026
Standing between point and gully, Glenn Phillips literally FLEW through the air to save a certain boundary off Rohit Sharma’s lightning-fast cut shot 🤯
The effort was so insane that even Virat Kohli was left stunned. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/aMxYz5227U
In the commentary box, former New Zealand cricketer Ian Smith could barely believe what he had witnessed. Drawing a direct comparison to Phillips’ stunning catch to dismiss Kohli earlier in the year, Smith recalled the Indian superstar’s disbelief at the time.
By Glenn Phillips' standard, it's a catch drop. pic.twitter.com/25JSfuhfKC
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) January 11, 2026
“I remember Kohli’s reaction as if to say, ‘No, you’re kidding me. You’re absolutely kidding me,’” Smith said on air.
“And that was the same reaction, with the smile that came afterwards, from Shubman Gill. At the other end, Rohit Sharma remembered it very well,” he added.
During the group stage of the Champions Trophy 2025, Kohli had been dismissed for just 11 runs after Phillips soared through the air to complete a sensational one-handed catch, a moment that quickly became one of the tournament’s defining highlights.
This time, however, Gill survived the scare. Making full use of his luck, the Indian captain went on to score 56 off 71 balls, registering a much-needed half-century after a prolonged lean patch in white-ball cricket.
Virat Kohli, meanwhile, played a pivotal role with the bat, scoring a fluent 93 to anchor India’s chase. The former captain struck his 77th ODI half-century but narrowly missed out on a century as India briefly stumbled from 234/2 to 242/5. Despite the wobble, the hosts held their nerve to seal a four-wicket victory with six balls to spare.
Gill and Kohli laid a solid foundation with a 118-run second-wicket partnership, after which Kohli added further stability through a valuable stand with Shreyas Iyer, who chipped in with 49.
Late contributions from Harshit Rana (29) and wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul, who remained unbeaten on 29 and smashed the winning six, ensured India crossed the finish line and took a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series.