Virat Kohli Surpasses Sachin Tendulkar as Fastest Player to Reach 14,000 ODI Runs

Virat Kohli entered the match against Pakistan needing just 15 runs to reach the impressive milestone of 14,000 runs in One Day Internationals (ODIs). He accomplished this feat while guiding India to victory in their successful pursuit of 242 runs, finishing with an unbeaten century—his 51st in ODIs. Kohli sealed his century with a cover-driven boundary off part-time spinner Khushdil Shah that also marked the winning runs.

“The contrast I noticed between his innings against Bangladesh and today’s performance is striking. Sure, the pitch conditions were more favorable, but even in Bangladesh, he seemed to hesitate during a few dot balls,” stated Anil Kumble on ESPNcricinfo MatchDay. “However, today we witnessed a totally different player. Kohli was back to his classic batting style, indicating a relaxed mindset. The challenge of facing Pakistan and the intensity of the crowd undoubtedly spurred him on, and it was a delight to see him in such exceptional form.”

Kohli is now only the third player in history to notch 14,000 runs in ODIs, joining the ranks of Sachin Tendulkar, who achieved this in 350 innings, and Kumar Sangakkara, who needed 378 innings. Remarkably, Kohli reached his 14,000 run mark in 63 fewer innings than Tendulkar.

Currently, Kohli boasts an average of over 57 in ODIs, while Tendulkar and Sangakkara averaged in the early 40s when they reached the 14,000-run milestone. Kohli is also the fastest player to reach this mark in terms of balls faced, requiring just 14,984 deliveries—significantly quicker than Tendulkar’s 16,292 balls and Sangakkara’s 17,789 balls. While both Tendulkar and Sangakkara celebrated their milestones with centuries, they did so in matches where India faced defeat, unlike Kohli’s triumphant performance.

Kohli has set records for being the quickest to every 1,000-run milestone since surpassing 8,000 ODI runs in 175 innings in June 2017. Overall, he ranks third among the highest run-scorers in ODIs, closely trailing Sangakkara, who has 14,234 runs, and Tendulkar, who leads with 18,426. Additionally, Kohli holds the record for the most hundreds in ODIs, surpassing Tendulkar’s previous high of 49 during the 2023 ODI World Cup.

“Whenever Virat steps onto the field, expectations soar—not only from his own perspective but also from the team, as he’s expected to deliver runs regardless of whether India is batting first or chasing a target. The fans’ anticipation is immense,” Kumble added. “Kohli is a pivotal player, and naturally, all eyes are on him.”

“When this level of attention is sustained, it can weigh on you, leading to a struggle to return to a more natural batting approach. However, today, we witnessed Kohli playing with the elegance we’ve seen so often in his 51 centuries in ODI cricket.”

Earlier in the match against Pakistan, Kohli also broke the record for the most catches as a fielder for India in ODIs, reaching a total of 158 catches.

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