Indian batting stalwart Virat Kohli added another milestone to his illustrious career on Saturday, becoming the second-highest run-scorer in One-Day Internationals, overtaking Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara.
Batting against Australia in the third and final ODI at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Kohli reached the landmark while guiding India to victory.
The 36-year-old went past Sangakkara’s 14,234 runs when he reached 54* in the 32nd over of the second innings.
Kohli now has 14,255 runs in 305 ODIs, achieved in just 293 innings, with a highest score of 183. His record includes 51 centuries (most by any batsman) and 75 half-centuries at an average of 57.71.
Sangakkara, who played 404 matches, had accumulated his 14,234 runs in 380 innings at an average of 41.98, with 25 centuries and 93 fifties.
Kohli surpassed him playing 99 matches fewer. His idol, Sachin Tendulkar, remains ahead of him with a staggering 18,426 runs in 463 ODIs.
During the Sydney innings, Kohli also scored his 75th One-Day International fifty. He brought up the milestone with a single off Australian left-arm spinner Cooper Connolly.
Walking in at No.3, Kohli broke his two-game duck streak and celebrated his first run with a fist pump.
With this knock, Kohli broke the record for most 50-plus scores in the second innings of ODIs, going past Tendulkar’s previous best of 69. He already holds the record for most centuries in ODI chases with 28 tons.
Here are the other players on the all-time ODI run-scorers list:
Sachin Tendulkar
The ‘Little Master’, often hailed as the ‘God of Indian Cricket’, leads the chart with 18,426 runs in 463 matches, with a highest score of 200*.
He scored 49 centuries and 96 fifties at an average of 44.83. Tendulkar’s record remains unmatched, with no current player within reach of his tally.
Kumar Sangakkara
The former Sri Lankan captain ranks third with 14,234 runs in 404 matches, including 25 centuries and 93 half-centuries, with a top score of 169 at an average of 41.98.
Ricky Ponting
The former Australian World Cup-winning captain occupies fourth place with 13,704 runs in 375 matches, including 30 centuries and 82 fifties.
His highest score is 164, and he averaged 42.03 across his ODI career.
Sanath Jayasuriya
The former Sri Lankan opener is fifth on the list with 13,430 runs in 445 matches.
He registered 28 centuries and 68 half-centuries, with a highest score of 189 and an average of 32.36.
With this achievement, Kohli has further cemented his legacy as one of the finest batters in limited-overs cricket, inching closer to the records once thought insurmountable.