Virat Kohli created history by reaching 28,000 runs in international cricket, becoming the third batter in the world to do so. He now trails only Sachin Tendulkar for the most runs in international cricket. Sachin Tendulkar has 34,357 runs. Virat has overtaken Kumar Sangakkara to take second place.
In February 2023, Kohli became the fastest batter to cross the 25,000-run mark. He achieved this feat in his 549th innings, 28 innings faster than Sachin. In October 2023, Kohli reached 26,000 runs, also the fastest, 13 innings faster than Sachin. A year later, he reached 27,000 runs, 59 innings faster than Sachin.
Kohli ended 2025 with a stellar performance in the 50-over format. He scored back-to-back centuries against South Africa. He scored a fifty in the final ODI to win the series 2-1. Virat then played two matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring a century in one match and a fifty in the other.
Batters Who Reached 28,000 Runs:
- 624 innings – Virat Kohli
- 644 innings—Sachin Tendulkar
- 666 innings—Kumar Sangakkara
Virat Kohli created not just one or two, but five records in his 93-run innings, stunning world cricket. Virat Kohli led India to a four-wicket win in the opening ODI against New Zealand with his 93-run innings. Kohli earned the Player of the Match award by setting five important records in his innings. Kohli is the second Indian batter to score the most ODI runs.
India took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series by defeating New Zealand by four wickets with one over to spare in the opening ODI here on Sunday, thanks to half-centuries from Virat Kohli (93 runs) and captain Shubman Gill (56 runs) and a 118-run partnership for the second wicket between them. It’s worth noting that in his 93-run innings, Virat Kohli set not one or two, but five major records.
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Virat Kohli Sets Five Major Records in his 93-Run Innings
1- Virat Kohli has become the batter to score the most ODI runs for India in the win against New Zealand.
2- Virat Kohli has become the second-highest run-scorer in international cricket.
3- Virat Kohli became the second Asian batsman to complete 3,000 international runs against New Zealand.
4- Virat Kohli became the fastest batsman to reach 28,000 runs in international cricket.
5- Virat Kohli became the only batter in the world to score 100 or 50+ scores at No. 3 in international cricket.
Speaking about the match, India won the toss and decided to bowl first. After being invited to bat, New Zealand scored 300 for eight with the help of half-centuries from Daryl Mitchell (84), Henry Nicholls (62), and Devon Conway (56). For India, fast bowlers Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna took two wickets each, while spinner Kuldeep Yadav took one wicket.
In the first ODI against New Zealand, India scored a thrilling 306 for six in 49 overs. Virat Kohli played a match-winning inning of 93 runs. King Kohli, who played a key role in India’s victory, was awarded the Player of the Match award. He stitched a valuable 118-run partnership with Shubman Gill for the second wicket and a 77-run partnership for the third wicket with Shreyas Iyer.
Virat Kohli Eyes Another World Record of Sachin Tendulkar
For Virat Kohli, this was his 45th Player of the Match award in his ODI career and 71st in international cricket. Following this, Virat now has his sights set on another world record of Sachin. He has now begun moving towards that record. This record is for winning the Player of the Match award the most number of times in international cricket. This record is currently held by Sachin Tendulkar. He won the POTM award 76 times in international cricket. Now, Virat is just five steps away from breaking Sachin’s record.
Kohli has now won the Player of the Match award 45 times in ODIs, 16 times in T20Is, and 10 times in Tests. The gap between Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli is now very narrow. The Master Blaster achieved this feat 62 times in ODIs and 14 times in Tests in his career. The gap between Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli is now just five steps. If Virat manages to win the POTM award five more times, he will equal Sachin and become joint number one.
Players with the Most P.O.T.M. Awards in International Cricket
76 – Sachin Tendulkar
71 – Virat Kohli
58 – Sanath Jayasuriya
57 – Jacques Kallis
50 – Kumar Sangakkara
Speaking only of ODI cricket, Virat Kohli is third in terms of winning the most Player of the Match awards in this format. This was Kohli’s 45th Player of the Match award in the 50-over format. He is preceded on this list by former Sri Lankan explosive batsman Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar. In ODIs, Sachin won the award 62 times, while Jayasuriya won it 48 times. With the kind of form Virat Kohli is in right now, this record seems to be broken anytime soon.
Virat Kohli Scores Five Consecutive 50-plus Scores for the Fifth Time
Virat Kohli has created history by scoring more than 50 in five consecutive innings in ODI cricket. Virat Kohli is now the only batsman in the world to have achieved this feat. Kohli missed out on a century but managed to score fifty-plus for the fifth time. Virat Kohli is now the only batter in the world to have achieved this feat for the first time in the Asia Cup in 2012.
Virat Kohli first achieved this feat during the Asia Cup in 2012. He scored back-to-back centuries in two ODIs against Sri Lanka, followed by a 66-run innings against Bangladesh. He then scored a historic 183 against Pakistan, the highest score of his ODI career so far. King Kohli didn’t stop there, scoring another 106 against Sri Lanka. This marked his fifth consecutive 50-plus score in five ODIs.
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Virat Kohli had a stellar 2013. He repeated his 2012 performance the following year. First, he scored 68 against Zimbabwe, and then batted brilliantly in the ODI series against Australia. In Pune, he led his team to victory with a half-century of 61, and in Jaipur, he scored an unbeaten 100. He continued this form, scoring 68 in Mohali and 115 in Nagpur. This marked the second time Kohli had scored five 50+ scores in ODIs.
Virat Kohli was in excellent form in the 2019 ODI World Cup, and while he didn’t score a single century, he did score five consecutive half-centuries. He scored 82 against Australia at The Oval, 77 against Pakistan in Manchester, 67 against Afghanistan in Southampton, and 72 and 66 against the West Indies and England, respectively. He was batting flawlessly and fearlessly at this point in his career.
Virat Kohli’s bat roared once again in the 2023 World Cup. He was not only named Player of the Tournament in this ICC event but also achieved the feat of scoring five consecutive fifty-plus scores for the fourth time. Virat Kohli scored 88 against Sri Lanka, 101 not out against South Africa, 51 against the Netherlands, 117 against New Zealand, and 54 against Australia.
After the 2023 World Cup, Virat Kohli has now achieved this feat in 2025-26. He scored a half-century in the final match of the ODI series against Australia, followed by back-to-back centuries in the home series against South Africa and a half-century in the final match. In the very first match of the series against New Zealand, Kohli scored 93 runs and set a record for the fifth consecutive 50-plus score in ODI cricket.