Virat Kohli became the fastest batter to reach 27,000 international runs, surpassing the legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s record during the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur. The 35-year-old batting maestro achieved the feat in his 594th innings, outpacing Tendulkar, who reached the same milestone in 623 innings back in 2007. Kohli now joins an elite group of cricketers who have surpassed 27,000 runs, including Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, and Kumar Sangakkara.
Kohli’s record-breaking run comes as no surprise to his fans, given his consistency across all formats of the game. After becoming the fastest batter to 25,000 international runs in February 2023, and the quickest to 26,000 in October 2023, Kohli has continued to establish himself as one of the greatest players in cricketing history.
Former Indian captain Sachin Tendulkar, considered by many as the greatest cricketer of all time, took 623 innings to reach the milestone, while Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara achieved it in 648 innings, and Australian great Ricky Ponting in 650 innings.
Fastest to 27,000 International Runs:
594 innings – Virat Kohli*
623 innings – Sachin Tendulkar
648 innings – Kumar Sangakkara
650 innings – Ricky Ponting
Before the match, the 35-year-old had amassed 8,871 Test runs in 114 matches at an average of 48.74. In ODIs, he scored 13,906 runs in 295 games at an impressive average of 58.18. Additionally, he accumulated 4,188 runs in 125 T20Is at 48.69. However, Kohli missed his well-deserved fifty as Shakib Al Hasan, possibly playing his final Test, claimed his prized wicket. Attempting an expansive sweep, Kohli completely missed the delivery, which went on to shatter his off-stump.
