As Team India gears up for their fourth match in the ODI World Cup 2023, all eyes are on star batter and former skipper Virat Kohli. The 34-year-old is on the brink of surpassing the iconic Sachin Tendulkar by setting a new world record. With 510 matches under his belt across all formats in international cricket, Kohli is just 77 runs shy of becoming the fastest cricketer to score 26,000 runs.
Currently, the former India skipper boasts 25,923 runs from 566 innings and has a very long time to go before he takes the top spot. If he manages to score the required 77 runs in his upcoming innings against Bangladesh or within the next 34 innings, he will clinch the title of the fastest to reach the 26,000-run milestone.
Only three cricketers have crossed the 26,000-run mark in international cricket: Sachin Tendulkar with 34,357 runs in 782 innings, Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara with 28,016 runs in 666 innings, and Australia's Ricky Ponting with 27,483 runs in 668 innings.
Kohli, currently fifth on this illustrious list, is trailing behind Tendulkar, Sangakkara, Ponting, and Jayawardene. With Jayawardene having scored 26,957 runs in 725 innings, Kohli needs just 35 runs to overtake him and secure the fourth spot.
In terms of ODI World Cup run tallies, Kohli ranks eighth. A 40-run knock in the next match would see him leapfrog Shakib Al Hasan to claim the fourth position. Tendulkar leads the chart with 2,278 runs, followed by Ponting, Sangakkara, Brian Lara, AB De Villiers, Shakib, Rohit Sharma, and then Kohli.
Kohli has been in good form in the ongoing ODI World Cup. He has scored 156 runs in three matches, with two half-centuries to his name.
Meanwhile, In the current ODI World Cup, Rohit Sharma's exceptional batting performance has propelled him into the top 10 of the latest ICC ODI Batting Rankings. Impressively, the Indian captain, often referred to as 'Hitman', has now overtaken his fellow teammate, the batting legend Virat Kohli, in the rankings.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK
After kiss controversy, Jenni Hermoso recalled to Spanish national team for first time since winning Women's World Cup
Lionel Messi contract: MLS Players Association reveals how much money Argentine superstar makes with Inter Miami
