India’s Virat Kohli on Sunday became the second-highest scorer across the three international cricket formats during his match-winning 93 in the first ODI against New Zealand.
Kohli went past Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara (28,016 runs) to move into second in the list of leading run-scorers in the international game, behind fellow Indian Sachin Tendulkar (34,357).
The top-order batter has 28,068 runs in Test, ODI and T20 cricket since he made his debut for India in an ODI in Sri Lanka in 2008.
“If I look back at my whole journey then it is nothing short of a dream-come-true for me,” Kohli said after being named man of the match in Vadodara.
“I have always known my abilities, but I also knew I had to work extremely hard to get where I am today. God has blessed me with far more than I could ever ask for, I look back at my journey with a lot of grace and gratitude, and I feel really proud of it.”
His 91-ball knock in the ODI opener helped India chase down a victory target of 301 with four wickets and six balls to spare to lead the three-match series 1-0.
But the in-form Kohli missed out on his 54th ODI ton after he registered his fifth 60-plus score in his last five ODI innings, including two hundreds.
“If I am being brutally honest, the way I’m playing right now, I’m not thinking about milestones at all,” the former captain said.
“If we were batting first, I probably would’ve gone harder. But in a chase, with a total on the board, I had to play the situation. I felt like hitting more boundaries, but experience kicks in. The only thing on my mind was getting the team into a position where we could win comfortably.”
Called King Kohli for his prolific run-scoring, the 37-year-old now only plays the ODI format after he and fellow stalwart Rohit Sharma, 38, retired from T20 and Test cricket.
The future of the two stars have been widely debated, with both likely targeting the ODI World Cup in 2027.
In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.
The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.
Stay informed with The Namibian – your source for credible journalism. Get in-depth reporting and opinions for
only N$85 a month. Invest in journalism, invest in democracy –
Subscribe Now!
