“Indian Batter Reaches Milestone in Champions Trophy Clash Against Pakistan, Breaks Tendulkar’s Record”
“Virat Kohli Becomes Fastest to 14,000 ODI Runs, Achieves Feat in 287th Innings During Champions Trophy Clash Against Pakistan in Dubai.”
Kohli started the game against Pakistan just 15 runs away from the 14,000-run milestone and reached it during India’s successful chase of 242. Leading from the front, he sealed the victory with an unbeaten century—his 51st in ODIs—bringing up the landmark with a cover-driven boundary off part-time spinner Khushdil Shah.
Former India captain Anil Kumble highlighted Kohli’s composure and confidence during the innings. Speaking on ESPNcricinfo MatchDay, Kumble said, “The difference I saw from his innings against Bangladesh to this one… of course, the pitch was slightly better, but even when he played a couple of dot balls against Bangladesh, he was shadow-practicing afterward. Today, we didn’t see any of that. He was back to his natural game, which shows his mind was at ease. The challenge of playing Pakistan and the electric atmosphere of the crowd surely helped him lift his game, and today we saw him in sublime form.”
Kohli is now only the third batter to surpass 14,000 ODI runs, joining Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara. He achieved the feat in just 287 innings—63 fewer than Tendulkar (350) and 91 fewer than Sangakkara (378).
Kohli currently boasts an average of over 57 in ODIs, significantly higher than Sachin Tendulkar (44.19) and Kumar Sangakkara (41.73) when they reached the 14,000-run mark. He is also the fastest to achieve this milestone in terms of balls faced, needing just 14,984 deliveries—far quicker than Tendulkar (16,292) and Sangakkara (17,789). Notably, while both Tendulkar and Sangakkara reached the landmark with centuries, their teams lost those matches, unlike Kohli, who guided India to victory.
Since surpassing 8,000 ODI runs in June 2017 in just 175 innings, Kohli has been the fastest to every subsequent 1,000-run milestone. He now sits third on the list of all-time highest ODI run-scorers and is on the verge of overtaking Sangakkara (14,234) for second place. Tendulkar remains at the top with 18,426 runs. Kohli also holds the record for the most centuries in ODIs, having surpassed Tendulkar’s tally of 49 during the 2023 World Cup.
“Every time Virat steps onto the field, the expectations are immense—not just from himself but also from the team, knowing he will deliver, whether setting a total or chasing one down for India. And for the fans, the anticipation is massive,” Kumble said. “He’s a monumental player, and naturally, all the focus revolves around him.”
He added, “When that kind of pressure builds up consistently, it can start affecting you. You begin trying too hard to break free and return to your natural game. Today, I felt we saw Virat back at his best. The way he constructed his century—it’s something we’ve witnessed time and again in his 51 ODI hundreds.”
Earlier in the match against Pakistan, Kohli also set a new record for the most catches as a fielder for India in ODIs, taking his tally to 158.
