Virat Kohli on brink of history, 59 runs away from breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s ODI record

Virat Kohli is once again on the cusp of an ODI milestone that would add another remarkable chapter to his extraordinary career. The former India captain needs just 59 runs in Sunday’s opening ODI against West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram to become only the second batsman in men’s ODI history to reach the 15,000-run mark, joining Sachin Tendulkar in an exclusive club.Kohli amassed 14,941 runs in 314 ODIs and 302 innings at an average of 58.59, with 54 centuries and 79 fifties. Tendulkar remains the format’s leading run-scorer with 18,426 runs, meaning Kohli’s next milestone will put him alongside a player whose ODI records have defined Indian cricket for decades.But 15,000 runs is only one of several records within Kohli’s reach.

Kohli set to rewrite the fastest record to 15,000

If Kohli reaches the required 59 runs against West Indies, he will reach 15,000 ODI runs in his 303rd innings. That would make him the fastest batsman to the landmark by a considerable margin. Tendulkar reached 15,000 runs in his 377th ODI innings in 2007. Hence, Kohli would have reached 74 innings earlier than his illustrious predecessor.The landmark would also fit into a pattern that has followed Kohli throughout his ODI career. He became the fastest batsman to 13,000 ODI runs when he reached the mark in 267 innings in 2023, beating Tendulkar’s previous record of 321 innings.

West Indies were one of Kohli’s favorite opponents

There is another layer of milestone given the opposition. Kohli had a remarkable success against the West Indies, scoring 2,261 runs in 43 matches and 41 innings at an average of 66.50. He has nine centuries and 11 fifties against them.Thiruvananthapuram has also been a productive place for the right-hander. In two ODIs at the venue, he scored 199 runs without being dismissed, including his sensational 166 not out against Sri Lanka in January 2023.

Tendulkar’s home record by an impressive distance as well

Kohli has another Tendulkar record in his sights, the most ODI runs scored in home conditions. Tendulkar has amassed 6,976 ODI runs in India. Kohli currently has 6,867, leaving him 110 runs short of surpassing the former Indian opener.Kohli’s domestic ODI numbers underline his consistency. He scored these 6,867 runs in 130 matches and 127 innings, at an average of 62.42, with 27 centuries and 36 fifties.Kohli’s pursuit of Tendulkar’s records goes beyond ODIs. The former Indian captain currently has 85 international centuries and remains on course for the 100-century milestone, which Tendulkar was the first to achieve.At home, Kohli has 41 international hundreds, while Tendulkar’s record stands at 42. Another two centuries in India would take Kohli past his former teammate and Indian batting icon in that particular category.Kohli is also closing in on Tendulkar’s record for most List-A centuries. Kohli has 59 List-A hundreds while Tendulkar ended his career with 60. Since List-A cricket includes ODIs as well as other recognized 50-over matches, Kohli needs two more hundreds to overtake Tendulkar at the top of the Indian list.