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Virat Kohli provided an unexpected moment of entertainment during India's first ODI against New Zealand in Auckland when his WHOOP fitness band came apart in the middle of the match. The former India captain was briefly seen searching the ground for a tiny missing component before the umpire stepped in to help him recover it.
The amusing incident took place during India's run chase at Eden Park on November 4, 2026. Kohli was batting when New Zealand pacer Nathan Smith bowled a short delivery. The Indian batter attempted a pull shot but failed to connect, with the ball striking his arm. The impact apparently caused the small pin securing his WHOOP band to come loose and fall onto the pitch.
What followed quickly caught the attention of spectators and cricket fans watching the match. Kohli stopped to inspect his wrist and realised that a component of his fitness tracker was missing. Rather than immediately returning to his batting stance, the Indian star began looking around the pitch for the tiny pin. He eventually located the band but needed help finding the missing piece that held it together.
The umpire subsequently spotted the pin and handed it back to Kohli. The batter's delighted reaction, including his gestures towards the crowd after recovering the component, made the moment particularly entertaining.
The episode soon attracted attention on social media, with fans sharing the video and enjoying the lighter side of Kohli's usually intense presence on the cricket field.
WHOOP is a wearable fitness and health-tracking device used to monitor metrics such as heart rate, sleep, recovery and physical strain. Professional athletes use such devices to understand their training loads and recovery patterns.
Kohli has been associated with fitness-focused training throughout his career, making the WHOOP band a familiar part of his on-field appearance. Although the incident lasted only a short time, it provided a rare glimpse of the Indian batter reacting spontaneously to an unexpected interruption during a high-pressure international match.
🏮 UMPIRE FOUND THE WATCH PIN of VIRAT KOHLI🤯
— VK (@Aur_vicky) November 4, 2026
Look at the crowd reaction after getting watch pin 🤣pic.twitter.com/nzdQKRm3NZ https://t.co/QvBl6xBzTx
The amusing episode was only one part of an impressive outing for Kohli. He scored 74 off 51 deliveries, hitting 13 fours and a six, as India defeated New Zealand by five wickets in the rain-affected opening ODI.
India had restricted the hosts to 185 in 40.2 overs before rain interruptions reduced the visitors' target to 143 from 32 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method. Kohli and Shubman Gill, who contributed 37 runs, guided India towards victory. Kohli also surpassed Sachin Tendulkar to become the highest run-scorer in ODI run chases during the match, taking his tally to 8,741 runs.
While his batting milestone dominated the cricketing headlines, the WHOOP band incident gave fans another memorable moment from India's Auckland victory.