India skipper Virat Kohli is just 37 runs away from becoming the fastest batsman to score 20,000 international runs when he takes to the crease against West Indies India’s World Cup clash at the Old Trafford, Manchester, on Thursday.
Kohli currently has scored 19, 963 international runs and he needs 37 more runs to break the record legendary Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar and West Indies great Brian Lara. If Kohli hits 37 runs against Windies, he will set a new milestone by scoring 20,000 international runs in just 416 innings (131 in Tests, 223 in ODIs and 62 in T20Is). It is to be noted that both Tendulkar and Lara had achieved this feat in 453 innings. Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting had scored 20,000 runs in 468 innings.
If Kohli scores 37 runs today, then he will become the 12th batsman to achieve this extraordinary feat and the third Indian after Tendulkar (34,357 runs) and Rahul Dravid (24,208 runs). Kohli, 30, is looking in red-hot form in the ongoing Cricket World Cup. The Indian skipper failed to score big against South Africa in the World Cup opener, but he returned to form in the match against Australia and scored 82 runs. Kohli conitnued his good form against Pakistan and Afghanistan scoring 77 runs and 67 runs respectively. Kohli also became the fastest batsman to score 11,000 ODI runs during the innings against Pakistan at the same ground on June 16.
Overall, Kohli will be the sixth player in the list, only after Australia’s Ricky Ponting, Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara, Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya, and Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene.
Kohli will also be on the verge of equaling Sachin’s record of most ODI hundreds by an Indian player against Australia. If Kohli makes a ton, it will be his 9th ODI hundred against the Aussies.
