IND vs NZ 2026: Virat Kohli Breaks Tendulkar’s Record to Become Quickest Batter to 28,000 International Runs

Virat Kohli created history on Sunday, January 11, 2026, during the first ODI against New Zealand in Vadodara by becoming the fastest batter to reach 28,000 runs in international cricket.

Kohli reached the landmark in his 624th international innings, making it a new world record. He went past the previous mark held by Sachin Tendulkar, who had taken 644 innings to get to the same tally.

The milestone came quietly during India’s innings, but it carried massive weight. Kohli bettered Tendulkar’s record by 20 innings, underlining the consistency he has shown across formats for more than a decade.

Only two players before Kohli had crossed 28,000 international runs. Tendulkar was the first, followed by Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara. Kohli is now the third member of this elite club.

With this knock, Kohli also moved to second place on the all-time international run-scorers list. He went past Sangakkara’s tally of 28,016 runs and now sits just behind Tendulkar at the top.

What makes Kohli’s achievement stand out even more is his batting average. He has maintained an average of over 52.58 across formats, which is far higher than the others had when they reached this milestone.

The record came in a special setting as well. The ODI was played in Vadodara, a city witnessing a historic international match, and Kohli once again delivered on a big occasion.

Indian fans in the stands and watching across the country celebrated the moment, as one of their modern greats added another chapter to his career.

Fastest to 28,000 International Runs by Innings 

Player	Country	Innings
Virat Kohli	India	624
Sachin Tendulkar	India	644
Kumar Sangakkara	Sri Lanka	666