Premier India batter Virat Kohli scripted history as he became the first man to score 50 ODI centuries, accomplishing the milestone against the Kane Williamson-led side at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday.
Kohli tied his idol and 2011 World Cup winner Sachin Tendulkar's record of 49 tons in the 50-over format in India's match against South Africa earlier in the tournament.
The 35-year-old arrived at the crease after skipper Rohit Sharma's dismissal and took time to find his groove before settling down to knock off singles and doubles at will.
As his innings progressed, Kohli accelerated, smashing eight boundaries and a six to move into the 90s.
From the 90s to his century, drama unfolded as Kohli gave a few half-chances to the New Zealand bowlers before suffering a cramp, sending tensions soaring across the stadium and elsewhere in India.
As he limped across the turf, doubts crept among his supporters if he could complete his record hundred, which would have taken him past Tendulkar.
But Kohli took some fluids during a drinks break and eventually completed his 50th ODI ton in 106 balls.
After completing his hundred, Kohli broke lose, smocking a six off Tim Southee. But his aggression didn't last long as he perished for 117 in his efforts to accelerate the scoring rate.
Kohli - Leading Run-Scorer in a Single Edition of the World Cup
Besides going past Tendulkar's tally of ODI centuries, Kohli broke his record for most runs in a single edition of a Cricket World Cup.
In fact, the former India captain is now the first cricketer to score over 700 runs in a single version of the top cricket event.
With his 117 against New Zealand, Kohli took his run tally to 711 in this edition, while Tendulkar made 673 in the 2003 World Cup.