Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 14000 ODI runs is broken by Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli entered the match against Pakistan needing just 15 runs to reach the 14,000-run milestone in ODIs. He achieved the feat during India’s chase of 242, guiding his team to victory with an unbeaten century-his 51st in the format. Kohli reached his hundred in style, striking the winning runs with a cover drive off part-time spinner Khushdil Shah.

Former India captain Anil Kumble, speaking on ESPNcricinfo MatchDay, observed a key difference in Kohli’s approach compared to his previous innings against Bangladesh. “The pitch was slightly better, but even when he played a few dot balls against Bangladesh, he was shadow practicing after that. Today, we didn’t see any of that. He looked completely at ease, and the occasion of playing Pakistan, combined with the electrifying atmosphere, seemed to lift his game. He was in sublime touch,” Kumble noted.

Kohli is now only the third batter in ODI history to surpass 14,000 runs, following Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara. While Tendulkar took 350 innings and Sangakkara 378 to reach the mark, Kohli accomplished it in 63 fewer innings than Tendulkar. His average of over 57 in the format is significantly higher than what Tendulkar (44.19) and Sangakkara (41.73) had at the same stage. He also became the fastest to 14,000 runs in terms of balls faced, achieving the milestone in 14,984 deliveries-well ahead of Tendulkar (16,292) and Sangakkara (17,789). Notably, while both Tendulkar and Sangakkara registered centuries upon reaching 14,000 runs, their teams lost on those occasions, unlike Kohli, who led India to victory.

Kohli has been the quickest to every 1000-run milestone since surpassing 8000 ODI runs in 175 innings in June 2017. He currently stands third on the all-time run-scorers list in ODIs, closing in on Sangakkara (14,234) for second place, with Tendulkar leading at 18,426 runs. Additionally, Kohli holds the record for the most centuries in ODIs, surpassing Tendulkar’s tally of 49 during the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Kumble highlighted the immense expectations surrounding Kohli whenever he steps onto the field. “The pressure isn’t just on him personally, but also from the team’s perspective, as they rely on him to deliver, whether batting first or chasing. The fans’ expectations are massive as well. When that happens consistently, it can start affecting a player mentally. But today, we saw the best version of Kohli-the way he constructed his hundred is something we’ve witnessed across his 51 ODI centuries,” Kumble added.

Earlier in the match, Kohli also set another record, becoming the Indian fielder with the most catches in ODIs, taking his tally to 158.