Virat Kohli has added another remarkable chapter to his extraordinary ODI career. The former India captain became the fastest batter in men’s ODI history to reach 15,000 runs, surpassing the long-standing benchmark set by Sachin Tendulkar during the first ODI against West Indies at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, September 27.

Kohli entered the contest needing just 59 runs to reach the landmark. He had accumulated 14,941 runs in 302 ODI innings before the series opener, putting him within touching distance of a record that had belonged to Tendulkar since 2007.

Virat Kohli pips Sachin Tendulkar’s 15,000-run ODI record

The significance of Kohli’s achievement lies not only in reaching 15,000 ODI runs but also in the speed at which he got there.

Tendulkar reached 15,000 ODI runs in his 377th innings in 2007. Kohli, meanwhile, completed the milestone in his 303rd ODI innings, meaning he reached the mark 74 innings earlier than the legendary Indian batter.

It is another example of Kohli’s extraordinary consistency in the 50-over format. He had previously become the fastest batter to reach 13,000 ODI runs, achieving that milestone in 267 innings in 2023 after breaking Tendulkar’s previous record of 321 innings.

Now, the 15,000-run mark has also become part of Kohli’s record book.

Before Kohli, only Tendulkar had crossed the 15,000-run barrier in men’s ODI cricket.

Tendulkar finished his illustrious ODI career with 18,426 runs, leaving him comfortably at the top of the all-time list. Kohli’s latest achievement moves him into an exclusive club and further separates him from the other prolific run-scorers in ODI history.

Kohli reached the landmark after smashing a boundary off Alzarri Joseph in the 29th over India’s 296-run chase. The Delhi-lad entered the field on Sunday with 14,941 runs from 314 matches and 302 innings, averaging 58.59. His ODI record also included 54 centuries and 79 fifties before the first ODI.

West Indies: Kohli’s favourite opponent

There was something fitting about Kohli achieving the milestone against West Indies.

The Caribbean side has been one of his most productive opponents in ODI cricket. Before the Thiruvananthapuram match, Kohli had scored 2,261 runs in 43 ODIs against West Indies, including nine centuries and 11 fifties, at an outstanding average of 66.50.

His record at the venue was equally encouraging. Kohli had previously played two ODIs at Thiruvananthapuram and had scored 199 runs without being dismissed, including his unbeaten 166 against Sri Lanka in January 2023.

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More Tendulkar records in Kohli’s sight

The 15,000-run record is not the only Tendulkar benchmark Kohli has been chasing.

The Indian star also entered the series just 110 runs behind Tendulkar’s record of 6,976 ODI runs on Indian soil. Kohli had 6,867 home ODI runs before the West Indies series and could also become the first batter to cross 7,000 ODI runs at home.

He is also closing in on Tendulkar’s List-A century record. Kohli has 59 List-A hundreds, while Tendulkar finished with 60. A century would bring Kohli level with his former India teammate in that category.

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