In a display of remarkable consistency and unparalleled speed, Virat Kohli has once again etched his name in the record books, becoming the fastest player to reach 28,000 runs in international cricket. The former India captain achieved this milestone during the first ODI against New Zealand in Vadodara on Sunday, January 11, 2026.

Kohli reached the 28,000-run mark in his 624th innings, eclipsing the previous record held by Sachin Tendulkar, who took 644 innings to reach the same milestone. Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara is the next fastest, having reached the milestone in 666 innings.

With this feat, Kohli has also surpassed Sangakkara to become the second-highest run-scorer in international cricket. Kohli now has 28,017 runs. Only Sachin Tendulkar stands ahead of him with 34,357 runs.

The Distance to Tendulkar

While Kohli has reached the 28,000-run milestone faster than Tendulkar, a significant gap remains between the two in terms of overall runs scored. As of January 11, 2026, Kohli trails Tendulkar by 6,340 runs. Tendulkar amassed 34,357 runs in his international career, a record that includes 18,426 runs in One-Day Internationals, 15,921 runs in Test matches, and 10 runs in Twenty20 Internationals. Tendulkar played 664 international matches in total.

Kohli's Recent Form

Kohli has been in exceptional form since returning to international cricket in October of the previous year during the Australia tour. Despite starting that tour with two ducks, he quickly bounced back with consistent performances. He also scored two centuries in the recent ODI series against South Africa and another hundred in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Records and Comparisons

The debate about comparing Kohli and Tendulkar has been going on for years. Tendulkar holds the record for the most international centuries (100), while Kohli has been breaking records, especially in ODIs and T20Is. Kohli's mastery in chases and his dominance in the modern era have led to comparisons with Tendulkar's consistency and longevity.

Tendulkar's ODI record includes 18,426 runs at an average of 44.83, with 49 centuries in 452 innings. Kohli, on the other hand, has 14,390 ODI runs at an average of 58.02 with 52 centuries in 294 innings.

While Kohli has superior statistics in some aspects, Tendulkar played in an era with tougher conditions and a less efficient support cast. Tendulkar scored 17.89% of India's ODI runs while he was at the crease, while Kohli has edged that with 18.66%.

As Kohli continues his international career, it remains to be seen how many more records he will break and how close he will get to Tendulkar's overall run tally.