Virat Kohli rewrites history: Fastest to 28,000 runs, goes past Sangakkara and closes in on Tendulkar

Virat Kohli has added another towering chapter to his career, becoming the fastest batter to 28,000 international runs and moving up to second on the all-time run-scoring charts during the first ODI against New Zealand in Vadodara.

Playing at the BCA International Stadium in Kotambi, Kohli crossed the 28,000-run mark in just 624 international innings, eclipsing Sachin Tendulkar’s long-standing record of 644 innings to the same milestone.[2][4] The India star then went past Kumar Sangakkara’s tally of 28,016 runs, leaving only Tendulkar ahead of him in world cricket’s aggregate run list.[2][4]

According to match reports, Kohli began the ODI 42 runs short of Sangakkara and reached the record during India’s chase in the 19th over, having earlier brought up the 28,000 mark with a boundary off Adithya Ashok in the 13th over.[2][4] He is now officially the second-highest run-scorer in international cricket, behind only Tendulkar.[2][4]

Before this game, Kohli had amassed 27,975 runs across 556 matches and 623 innings at an average above 52, including 84 centuries and 145 fifties, underlining a level of consistency rarely matched in the modern era.[2] The latest milestone extends a remarkable ODI phase in which he has entered 2026 on the back of consecutive hundreds against South Africa and a Player of the Series performance built on 302 runs in three matches.[4][5]

The Vadodara ODI also carried wider narrative weight for Indian cricket. Kohli, now a single-format international after stepping away from Tests and T20Is, has effectively become the spine of India’s 50-over setup, with former players arguing that his and Rohit Sharma’s retirements from two formats have prolonged their peak in ODIs.[4][6] His form supports that view: he remains one of the world’s most prolific one-day batters, rapidly closing in on the 15,000 ODI-run landmark and chasing several format-specific records, including becoming India’s leading ODI scorer against New Zealand.[3][4]

Off the scorecard, Kohli has been in the news for a viral training-ground interaction that showcased his influence in the dressing room. A video from India’s nets in Vadodara captured him advising a local net bowler to bowl with conviction even at the risk of being hit, stressing that a bowler must deliver the ball he believes in rather than what the batter appears to demand.[5] The clip has drawn wide attention on social media in India, reinforcing Kohli’s reputation as a demanding but empowering senior figure.

The first ODI itself unfolded as a high-intensity contest. New Zealand posted a competitive total of around 300, driven by an attacking half-century from Daryl Mitchell, before India edged home in a tight chase sealed by captain KL Rahul.[1][4] Kohli’s innings, though short of a century, was central to stabilising the pursuit, and his partnership with Shubman Gill drew praise for its control under pressure.[1][4]

With two ODIs still to be played in the series, Kohli has further landmarks in sight. He is within range of becoming India’s highest ODI run-scorer against New Zealand and is also chasing the record for most runs scored at No. 3 in ODI history, both marks that are now realistically attainable given his current form.[3][4] More broadly, his surge past Sangakkara and his status as the fastest to 28,000 international runs have intensified the statistical comparisons with Tendulkar that have followed him for much of his career.

As India’s 2026 season gathers pace, the Vadodara ODI has effectively confirmed the new landscape of Indian cricket: Kohli and Rohit as white-ball specialists, Shubman Gill and KL Rahul as central pillars in the batting order, and a side built around Kohli’s enduring appetite for runs and responsibility. For Indian fans, the latest milestone is less a closing chapter than a signal that Kohli’s ODI story still has room for more records, more chases, and more nights like Vadodara.