Indian cricket star Virat Kohli is on the verge of making history as he nears Sachin Tendulkar’s monumental record of 28,000 international runs. Kohli needs just 25 more runs to reach the milestone, which would make him the fastest cricketer to achieve it, accomplishing the feat in 623 innings. In comparison, Tendulkar took 644 innings, while Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara reached 28,000 runs in 666 innings.
The milestone could come during India’s upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand, starting January 11, 2026. Kohli, already with 27,975 international runs, is expected to dominate the series as he aims to surpass the iconic record. If he achieves it, he will become only the third cricketer in the world to reach this landmark, joining Tendulkar and Sangakkara.
Ahead of the series, Kohli will also play for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, beginning with a match against Railways on January 6 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. DDCA President Rohan Jaitley confirmed that Kohli has opted to play three matches in the tournament, exceeding the BCCI’s minimum requirement of two games for centrally-contracted players. Kohli has shown excellent form in the first two matches, scoring 131 and 77, respectively.
Additionally, Kohli recently became the fastest player to reach 16,000 List A runs in just 330 innings, surpassing Tendulkar’s 391 innings.
The Indian ODI squad for the New Zealand series is set to assemble in Vadodara by January 8, and Kohli may arrive a day earlier for practice. Meanwhile, India’s star all-rounder Hardik Pandya and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will be rested from the ODIs for workload management ahead of the home T20 World Cup beginning February 7.
All eyes will be on Kohli as he approaches this historic landmark, with cricket fans worldwide eager to witness a record-breaking moment in the game.
