Virat Kohli Surpasses Kumar Sangakkara to Become Second-Highest Run-Scorer in International Cricket
Vadodara: Indian batting icon Virat Kohli etched his name deeper into cricketing history on Sunday by overtaking Kumar Sangakkara to become the second-highest run-scorer in international cricket across formats.
Kohli achieved the landmark during the first ODI between India and New Zealand in Vadodara, surpassing Sangakkara’s career tally of 28,016 runs accumulated over 666 innings. The Indian star reached the milestone in just 624 innings, underlining his remarkable consistency and scoring rate.
Tendulkar Remains at the Summit
Former India captain Sachin Tendulkar continues to top the all-time international run charts with 34,357 runs in 782 innings. Tendulkar also holds the record for the most international centuries, having scored 100 hundreds, while Kohli now stands second with 84 centuries to his name.
Kohli Continues Strong Run of Form
During the Vadodara ODI, Kohli registered a composed half-century while chasing a challenging target of 301 runs against New Zealand. The knock marked his seventh consecutive score of fifty or more in List A cricket, highlighting his red-hot form.
The 37-year-old has enjoyed a prolific run in recent months. In December last year, Kohli smashed two centuries and a fifty during India’s three-match ODI series against South Africa. He carried that momentum into domestic cricket, scoring a century and a fifty for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
All-Time Leading Run-Scorers in International Cricket
- Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 34,357 runs (782 innings)
- Virat Kohli (India) – 28,017 runs (624 innings)*
- Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) – 28,016 runs (666 innings)
- Ricky Ponting (Australia) – 27,483 runs (668 innings)
- Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka) – 25,957 runs (725 innings)
*Stats updated after first ODI vs New Zealand
A Legacy Still in the Making
With age seemingly no barrier, Kohli continues to rewrite record books and close the gap on Tendulkar’s seemingly untouchable tally. As India enters a packed international calendar, the spotlight will remain firmly on Kohli as he continues his pursuit of cricketing immortality.
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