Cementing his reputation as one of the greatest white-ball cricketers to ever grace the sport, Virat Kohli on Wednesday added another monumental milestone to his illustrious career by breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s world record for the most runs scored in One-Day International (ODI) run chases.
Kohli breached the historic tally during the first ODI against New Zealand at Eden Park, Auckland, needing just 54 runs to surpass Tendulkar’s benchmark of 8,720 runs. He reached the milestone with a boundary on the 39th ball of his innings and eventually scored 74 off 51.
With this feat, Kohli sits atop the all-time table with over 8741 runs in 169 innings across 176 matches while batting second, eclipsing the legendary Tendulkar who had held the summit for decades.
Redefining The Art of Batting Second
While Tendulkar set the benchmark across 232 innings at an average of 42.23 with 17 centuries, Kohli’s ascension to the top has come at an unprecedented rate.
Known globally as the “Chase Master,” Kohli achieved the milestone in substantially fewer innings (169), boasting a stratospheric average over 66 and an unmatched 30 centuries in run chases alone.
Batter Runs In ODI Chases Batting Average 100s in Chases
Virat Kohli 8741 66.21 30
Sachin Tendulkar 8,720 42.33 17
Rohit Sharma 6,801 50.75 19
Sanath Jayasuriya 5,742 29.44 10
Jacques Kallis 5,575 44.95 5
Before breaking Tendulkar’s world record, Kohli also notched up his 50th 50-plus score in away ODIs. He reached the half-century milestone in just 35 balls against New Zealand during the 143-run chase (revised under the DLS method).
Fastest 50s for Virat Kohli in away ODIs
34 balls vs Aus Canberra 2016
35 balls vs NZ Auckland 2026
36 balls vs SA Centurion 2018
38 balls vs SL Colombo RPS 2017
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli also equalled Ricky Ponting’s record (1971) for most ODI runs against New Zealand.
Most ODI runs vs New Zealand
1971 Virat Kohli
1971 Ricky Ponting
1750 Sachin Tendulkar
1568 Kumar Sangakkara
1519 Sanath Jayasuriya
1449 Jacques Kallis
Throughout his career, Kohli’s defining hallmark has been his composure and calculating approach when the scoreboard is ticking.
Whether engineering a rebuild after an early collapse or systematically pacing a steep required rate, his ability to manipulate field placements, convert ones into twos, and accelerate without taking reckless risks has redefined modern chase dynamics.
