On October 19th, Virat Kohli etched his name in the annals of cricket history as the fastest batter to reach 26,000 international runs, eclipsing the legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s record. Prior to the showdown against Bangladesh, Kohli had amassed an impressive 25,923 runs from 566 innings. The cricketing world witnessed his remarkable achievement during a scintillating six in a World Cup match held in Pune.
Virat Kohli now stands as the fourth-highest run-scorer in global cricket. Boasting an impressive record of 78 centuries and 134 half-centuries, his total run tally across all formats now amounts to 26,026 runs in 567 innings. Kohli finds himself in elite company, with just three players ahead in the run-scoring hierarchy: Ricky Ponting (27,483), Kumara Sangakkara (28,016), and Sachin Tendulkar (34,357). His remarkable feat also moved him past Mahela Jayawardene (25,957), who now holds the fifth spot on the list of cricket’s highest run-scorers.
In ODI World Cups, Virat Kohli has left an indelible mark with 1,289 runs in 30 matches to his name. Notably, he has notched up three centuries in the World Cup, maintaining an impressive batting average of 53.70.
Kohli’s journey in the World Cup began in 2011 when he made a remarkable debut, scoring an unbeaten century against Bangladesh. Fittingly, his most recent World Cup century, achieved on October 19, 2023, also came against Bangladesh. In 2015, he displayed his brilliance once again by hitting a century against Pakistan in Adelaide.
However, Kohli’s 48th century against Bangladesh in the World Cup did not come without controversy. Umpire Richard Kettleborough found himself at the center of heated debates after deciding not to award a Wide Ball. The crucial moment occurred when Virat Kohli was at 97, facing Nasum Ahmed’s delivery, with India needing just 2 runs to secure victory. In limited-overs cricket, a delivery veering down the leg side is typically deemed a wide ball. However, Kettleborough chose not to make that call, leading to intense discussions among cricket enthusiasts.
Virat Kohli has now featured in his fourth World Cup, and he stands alongside R Ashwin as the only players who were part of India’s victorious World Cup team in 2011.
