IND vs NZ 2026: 'He likes India so much that you should get his PAN and Aadhaar made' - Former Indian opener hails Daryl Mitchell after Rajkot heroics

Daryl Mitchell continued his love affair with the Indian bowling line-up, as he notched up a match-winning century against the Men in Blue in the second ODI at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Wednesday, January 14.

Mitchell, who had scored a valiant 71-ball 84 in the first ODI in Vadodara, followed it up with an unbeaten 131 off 117 deliveries to help the Black Caps chase down a 285-run target on a tricky surface. New Zealand romped home in 47.3 overs, with seven wickets to spare, and restored parity in the three-match series.

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra lauded Daryl Mitchell, saying that the Hamilton-born cricketer debuted at the age of 30 and delivered consistent performances across formats. The cricketer-turned-commentator also mentioned Mitchell's excellent batting numbers against the Indian team.

"Daryl Mitchell, what a player. He made his international debut at the age of 30, and he has not looked back. He likes India so much that you should get his PAN and Aadhaar made," Chopra said in a video uploaded to his YouTube channel.

The 34-year-old Mitchell has amassed 604 runs against India in 10 ODI innings at a staggering average of 67.11 and an equally impressive strike rate of 95.56. He has three centuries and two fifties against the Asian giants in the 50-over format.

Apart from Mitchell, Will Young also deserves praise, as it was his 162-run partnership with the former which made the run chase seem like a cakewalk when it was actually not that straightforward. Young, who was the Player of the Series when New Zealand whitewashed India 3-0 in Tests last year, was dismissed for a 98-ball 87, and this brought Glenn Phillips to the crease. The latter finished the game alongside Mitchell to make the third ODI a decider.

He totally dismissed the Indian spinners: Chopra

Chopra pointed out that Mitchell plays spin really well, adding the variety of shots the right-handed batter used to keep the scoreboard ticking. The former Delhi captain also noted that Kuldeep Yadav, who is a strike bowler for India, was taken to the cleaners by the New Zealand batter.

"His specialty is that he plays spin well in two ways. He plays sweeps, paddle shots, uses his feet, and played very well off the back foot in this match. He totally dismissed the Indian spinners. The opposing team bowled 20 overs of spin between Jayden Lennox and Michael Bracewell, picked up two wickets, and conceded only 76 runs," he said.

"Kuldeep Yadav alone conceded more runs than them in 10 overs. Mitchell got a life for sure, but Kuldeep Yadav was welcomed with a six and then a four. 14 runs in his first over and then he kept hitting. I was quite confident that Kuldeep Yadav would pick up two or three wickets, but Mitchell just took him apart," Chopra observed.

The Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore is the venue for the highly-anticipated third ODI on Sunday, January 18. India will want to come up with better plans when they go face-to-face with Mitchell in the series decider.