Virat Kohli breaks Tendulkar’s record to become fastest to 28,000 International runs

Virat Kohli once again redefined longevity and consistency in international cricket by becoming the fastest batter to reach 28,000 international runs. The 37-year-old achieved the landmark in his 624th innings during the first One Day International against New Zealand in Vadodara on January 11, 2026, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s long-standing record of 644 innings.

In the process, Kohli also overtook former Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara’s tally of 28,016 runs to become the second highest run scorer in the history of international cricket. Only Tendulkar, who retired with 34,357 runs, now stands ahead of him.

Kohli entered the match needing 25 runs to reach the milestone and got there early in India’s chase of 301, completing it between the 13th and 19th overs with a boundary off spinner Adithya Ashok. With that stroke, he joined an exclusive list of just three batters to cross 28,000 international runs across formats.

What sets Kohli apart is not just the volume of runs, but the pace at which they have come. Since crossing 25,000 international runs in February 2023, he has added successive milestones rapidly — 26,000 runs in October 2023, 27,000 in September 2024 and now 28,000, each achieved faster than Tendulkar. His career strike rate of 79.45 and average of 52.58 underline that efficiency, compared to Tendulkar’s strike rate of 67.58 and Sangakkara’s 66.56.

The milestone arrives at a significant stage of Kohli’s career. In 2025, he retired from Test cricket, bringing an end to his red ball journey after more than a decade at the highest level. Since then, Kohli has chosen to focus exclusively on One Day Internationals, managing workload while continuing to contribute to the format where he remains a regular presence in India’s plans.

At 37, Kohli is now the only active player among the top three international run scorers. With over 6,000 runs separating him from Tendulkar’s all-time record, a question naturally emerges: can Kohli, playing just one international format, bridge that gap and become the highest run scorer in the history of the game?

For now, Kohli continues to add numbers to the record books, with 28,000 international runs standing as another defining marker in a career shaped by durability, discipline and sustained performance at the top level.