Virat Kohli became the highest run-scorer in ODI chases on Wednesday, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar. Kohli reached 8,741 runs during India’s five-wicket win against New Zealand. He scored 74 runs to guide his team home. This record showed his consistency, as he reached the mark in only 169 innings for India.
Virat Kohli added another landmark to his remarkable ODI career on Wednesday, going past Sachin Tendulkar to become the highest run-scorer in the history of the format while batting second.
Kohli moved to the top of the list during India's first ODI against New Zealand, scoring a fluent 74 to guide the visitors to a five-wicket victory. His innings took his tally in ODI run chases to 8,741, moving him past Tendulkar's 8,720.
NZ vs IND, 1st ODI: Highlights | Scorecard
The numbers underline the consistency that has defined Kohli's career. He has reached the mark in 169 innings across 180 matches, while Tendulkar needed 232 innings in 242 matches to score his 8,720 runs batting second.
Kohli's average in these situations stands at 66.21, considerably higher than Tendulkar's 42.33. He has also struck 30 centuries and 46 half-centuries while batting second, compared to Tendulkar's 17 hundreds and 52 fifties. Kohli's strike rate is 95.03, against Tendulkar's 88.44.
The milestone adds to Kohli's reputation as one of the most accomplished chasers in the game. His ability to pace an innings, manage pressure and take a target deep has been a defining feature of his ODI batting.
Most runs while chasing in ODIs
Virat Kohli (IND) - 8741 runs in 169 innings
Sachin Tendulkar (IND) - 8720 runs in 232 innings
Rohit Sharma (IND) - 6801 runs in 163 innings
Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) - 5742 runs in 210 innings
Jacques Kallis (SA) - 5575 runs in 158 innings
KOHLI LEADS INDIA HOME
The latest record came in a rain-hit contest, where India were set a revised target of 143 in 32 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method. Kohli joined captain Shubman Gill in a second-wicket partnership worth 113 runs, putting India firmly on course after an early setback.
Gill contributed 37, while Kohli anchored the chase with an innings that brought up his 80th ODI half-century. The knock came a day before his 38th birthday.
India eventually reached 143 for five in 22.4 overs, sealing a five-wicket win despite a late wobble. The result gave the visitors an early lead in the five-match series.
Earlier, India's pace attack had made the most of the overcast conditions to bowl New Zealand out for 185 in 40.2 overs. Arshdeep Singh led the attack with four wickets for 70 runs, while Gurnoor Brar claimed three for 44 and Anshul Kamboj took two for 22.
Tim Seifert top-scored for New Zealand with 38, while Glenn Phillips made 30. Blair Tickner's late counter-attack, which included four sixes in a 23-ball 34, lifted the hosts but could not take them past 200.
For Kohli, the 74 was more than a match-winning contribution. It carried him beyond Tendulkar in a statistical category that has long reflected his mastery of the chase, adding another record to his already extraordinary ODI career.