India’s Virat Kohli surpasses Kumar Sangakkara with 28,068 runs, now second only to Sachin Tendulkar in all-time international cricket scoring
INDIA’S Virat Kohli became the second-highest scorer across all international cricket formats during his match-winning 93 in the first ODI against New Zealand.
Kohli surpassed Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara’s tally of 28,016 runs. He now sits behind only fellow Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar, who has 34,357 runs.
The top-order batter has amassed 28,068 runs in Test, ODI and T20 cricket since his debut in 2008.
“If I look back at my whole journey then it is nothing short of a dream-come-true for me,” Kohli said after being named man of the match.
“I have always known my abilities, but I also knew I had to work extremely hard to get where I am today.”
His 91-ball knock helped India chase down a target of 301 with four wickets and six balls to spare, giving them a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Kohli missed out on his 54th ODI century, registering his fifth consecutive score over 60 in his last five ODI innings.
“If I am being brutally honest, the way I’m playing right now, I’m not thinking about milestones at all,” the former captain said.
The 37-year-old, known as King Kohli, now plays only the ODI format after retiring from T20 and Test cricket alongside Rohit Sharma.
The future of both stars is widely debated, with the 2027 ODI World Cup a likely target.
