So here’s the deal. Virat Kohli, that name you see everywhere in cricket circles, has just blitzed his way past legends by becoming the fastest player to score 28,000 international runs. And no, this isn’t just a casual milestone—the guy reached it in only 624 innings during India’s first ODI against New Zealand in Vadodara. This beat out the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who took 644 innings for the same feat, by a solid margin. Crazy, right? That means Kohli’s pacing is not just quick; it’s something different.
This milestone isn’t about just racking up runs over some long, slow grind. No, this is about relentless consistency and killer focus across Test, ODI, and T20 formats. The man has nailed a career average of over 52 with 84 centuries and counting. And get this—he’s not stopping. Kohli also overtook Kumar Sangakkara, moving into the second spot on the all-time run-scoring list, trailing only Tendulkar, whose historic 34,357 runs remain the Everest to climb.
During the match, Kohli crushed a quick half-century off 44 balls, forming key partnerships to steady the chase after Rohit Sharma’s early wicket. Fans at Vadodara basically lost it, giving Kohli a roaring welcome that showed just how much love this record-breaking run means.
His ability to score runs in high-pressure chases—an average north of 120 in successful 300+ ODI chases—is part of what sets him apart. Among active players, only Joe Root even gets close, and Kohli clearly leads this generation by miles.
Despite all this, a few of Tendulkar’s records still stand, but Kohli’s trajectory hints those might fall too. With a load of ODIs ahead before the 2027 World Cup, expect more centuries and more moments where Kohli’s bat does the talking. It’s fun to watch history unfold, and trust me, the best is yet to come.
