Virat Kohli has once again etched his name in the record books, becoming the fastest batter to breach the 14,000-run milestone in ODIs. The Indian stalwart reached the landmark during the high-voltage Champions Trophy clash against Pakistan on Sunday; he needed just 15 runs to reach the mark before the game. Kohli brought up his milestone with a boundary against Haris Rauf, reinforcing his status as one of the finest to grace the fifty-over format.
What makes Kohli’s achievement even more staggering is the pace at which he has amassed these runs. He reached the 14,000-run mark in just 287 innings, surpassing the previous record set by the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who played 350 innings to get to the feat. The only other batter to have crossed this monumental figure is Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara.
Tendulkar holds the record for most runs in ODIs (18,426), but Kohli has inched closer to Sangakkara’s overall tally, which stands at 14,234. With another match remaining in India’s Champions Trophy group against New Zealand (and potentially two more matches, should India qualify for semi-final and final), Kohli has a chance to go past Sangakkara and become the second-highest run-scorer in ODI history.
Kohli made his ODI debut in 2008, and has since appeared in 299 matches for the side in the fifty-over format. During the 2023 World Cup, he broke Tendulkar’s long-standing record for most centuries in ODIs, scoring his 50th ton during the semi-final against New Zealand. Interestingly, it was also his last three-figure score in the format; Kohli has played eight ODIs since.
Over the past few months, Kohli has struggled for form, albeit in red-ball cricket. On his return to ODIs earlier this month, Kohli did score a half-century against England during a bilateral series, but was dismissed early during the side’s Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh.
This is not the only record Kohli achieved during the match against Pakistan. During the first innings, Kohli also eclipsed former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin to take the most catches for the side in ODIs.
Kohli was tied with Azharuddin (156) coming into the clash with the arch-rivals, and took two catches during the match to go past the former captain.
