DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — On Sunday, cricket legend Virat Kohli achieved a remarkable milestone, becoming the fastest player, and only the third in history, to amass 14,000 runs in One Day International (ODI) cricket. He also marked the occasion by scoring his record-breaking 51st century in this format.
Kohli commenced the match with a total of 13,985 runs while playing in his 287th ODI innings during a Group A clash against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy. He expertly led the batting charge, finishing the game unbeaten at 100 runs, hitting the final boundary as India triumphed over Pakistan by six wickets with 45 balls to spare.
Reflecting on his innings, Kohli noted, “We lost Rohit (Sharma) early, and my role was to stabilize the innings during the middle overs against spin without taking unnecessary risks. This approach allowed me to play my natural ODI game.”
Previously, the record for the fastest to reach 14,000 ODI runs was held by India’s Sachin Tendulkar, who accomplished the feat in 350 innings. Tendulkar still maintains the overall record for the most ODI runs scored, with a total of 18,426 runs in 452 innings. Fellow cricketing icon, Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara, ended his career with 14,234 runs across 380 innings.
The intense rivalry between India and Pakistan unfolded at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, even though Pakistan is the host nation for the tournament. India continues to play its league and prospective knockout matches in the United Arab Emirates.
