Ahead of India’s first ODI against New Zealand on Sunday, Virat Kohli is on the cusp of a major milestone, needing just 25 runs to become the third player in history to reach 28,000 international runs, following in the footsteps of Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara.
In addition, Kohli requires 42 more runs to surpass Sangakkara’s tally of 28,016, which would make him the second-highest run-scorer across all formats of international cricket.
Currently, the right-handed star has accumulated 27,975 runs in 556 matches and 623 innings, boasting an impressive average of 52.58, with 84 centuries and 145 half-centuries.
Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara, ahead of Kohli, scored 28,016 runs in 594 matches and 666 innings, maintaining an average of 46.77, with 63 centuries and 153 fifties. The record for the highest run-scorer in international cricket remains with India’s Sachin Tendulkar, who smashed 34,357 runs in 664 matches and 782 innings, averaging 48.25, and registering 100 centuries and 164 half-centuries.
Shubman Gill: Kohli is one of the best ODI batters of all time
Ahead of the first ODI, India ODI captain Shubman Gill emphasized the value of having experienced batsmen like Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the team. Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Gill praised Rohit as one of the greatest openers in ODIs and hailed Kohli as one of the best ODI batters of all time.
Gill noted that having such seasoned players makes a captain’s job considerably easier, especially in high-pressure situations. “Among the two players you have named, one is one of the greatest openers (Rohit) of all time in ODIs, and Virat bhai is one of the greatest ODI batsmen ever. So definitely, having these two people in your team makes your life a lot easier, and whenever you are in a challenging situation, you can go to them for input. Because they have often been in those situations, you can go to them to see how they think or what they would do. That piece of information is very valuable for any captain,” Gill said.
With Kohli approaching yet another historic milestone, all eyes will be on the former India captain as he looks to edge past Sangakkara and move closer to Tendulkar’s legendary record in the upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand.
(With inputs from ANI)
