Virat Kohli surpasses Sachin Tendulkar to become leading run-scorer in white-ball cricket history
Published - 25 Oct 2025, 05:26 PM | Updated - 25 Oct 2025, 05:30 PM
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India National Cricket Team modern-day batting great Virat Kohli has achieved a remarkable milestone in limited-overs cricket and shattered the all-time record of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
Virat Kohli has officially dethroned Sachin Tendulkar from the top of the mountain to become the highest run-scorer in the history of white-ball cricket - both T20Is and ODIs combined.
Virat Kohli shines in Sydney ODI
The right-handed batsman Kohli had an awful start to the Australia tour as he bagged consecutive ducks in the first two ODI matches against the Mitchell Marsh-led side.
In the first ODI at Perth Stadium, Virat Kohli got out for a duck while trying to play a drive outside off-stump off Mitchell Starc, and ended up edging it to Cooper Connolly.
His misery continued in the second match at the Adelaide Oval as he once again got dismissed for a duck. Xavier Bartlett bowled a length delivery around off-stump that skidded through and hit Kohli on the pads as he was trying to play a flick shot.
As Kohli was found in front of the stumps, the umpire instantly raised a finger, and after a lengthy chat with Rohit Sharma, he decided to walk off the field. It was the very first time in his 304-match ODI career that Kohli got out for ducks in two consecutive games.
However, Virat Kohli bounced back in the third ODI match at Sydney Cricket Ground. He got off the mark on the very first ball and remained unbeaten in the middle till the very end.
Kohli scored 74* runs off 81 balls, with 7 fours, and was involved in a match-winning 168-run stand in 170 balls with Rohit Sharma.
Historic Feat! Virat Kohli climbs to the top
The brilliant batting show of Kohli in Sydney helped him go past Sachin Tendulkar as the top run-getter in white-ball cricket. Tendulkar, also known as the God of Cricket, had scored 1836 runs in his legendary career, and Kohli has now surpassed that tally.
Most runs in white-ball internationals (ODIs + T20Is).
18443 - Kohli*
18436 - Sachin Tendulkar
15616 - Kumar Sangakkara
15601 - Rohit Sharma*
14,143 - Mahela Jayawardene
14,105 - Ricky Ponting
Not just that, Kohli has also gone past Kumar Sangakkara to become the second-highest run-getter in the history of ODI cricket.
Most Runs In ODI Cricket History:
Sachin Tendulkar - 18,426 (452 innings)
Kohli - 14,238* (293 innings)
Kumar Sangakkara - 14,234 (380 innings)
Nice to see great players celebrated - Ian Bishop on Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma
After India's dominant 9-wicket win in the third ODI, the cricketer-turned-commentator Ian Bishop took to X to express his delight over Rohit Sharma and Kohli being celebrated by cricket fans and experts. He stated:
"The respect for Rohit and Virat by the crowd, the teams, the commentators, in their Aus denouement for two champions of the game is absolutely moving. Nice to see great players celebrated the world over."
Also, the Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty took to X and lavished high praise on Rohit and Kohli while launching an attack on their critics. He stated:
"It’s funny how quickly we forget…the records, the fights, the pride, the tears, the sacrifice. Two games and suddenly everyone’s a critic. They heard the noise. They read the doubts. They stayed silent… And let the bat do the talking. Because legends like Rohit & Virat don’t have to prove a point — They are the point. @ImRo45 @imVkohli #RespectTheGame #LegendsNeverFade #WakeUpIndia."
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Rohit Sharma Virat Kohli India National Cricket Team Australia National Cricket Team India vs Australia Sachin Tendulkar Kumar SangakkaraAbout the Author
Sonanchal Gautam is a dedicated sports journalist, content manager, writer, and editor with over 4 y... Read more
