Shreyas Iyer overtakes Virat Kohli to become second fastest Indian…

India’s Shreyas Iyer (PTI Photo) Shreyas Iyer added another major milestone to his ODI career during India’s second ODI against Afghanistan in Lucknow on Wednesday, becoming the joint second-fastest Indian batsman to reach 3,000 runs in the format.The Mumbai batsman reached the landmark in his 72nd ODI innings, drawing level with former opener Shikhar Dhawan and moving ahead of batting great Virat Kohli, who took 75 innings to achieve the feat. Only India captain Shubman Gill has reached the milestone faster among Indians, having completed 3,000 ODI runs in just 62 innings earlier in the series.Fewest innings to 3000 ODI runs for India62 Shubman Gill72 Shikhar Dhawan/Shreyas Iyer75 Virat Kohli78 KL Satisfied79 Navjot SidhuIyer’s success becomes even more impressive when measured by the balls he has faced. The right-hander reached 3,000 ODIs in just 3,049 deliveries, making him the third-fastest Indian by that metric. Only Kapil Dev (2,995 balls) and Gill (3,016 balls) reached the milestone faster, while Iyer overtook former India opener Virender Sehwag who needed 3,164 deliveries.The milestone came in a high-scoring match at the Ekana Stadium where the Indian batsmen dominated the Afghanistan attack. Leading from the front, Gill produced a captain’s knock of 154 off 110 balls, his first ODI century since becoming India’s full-time ODI captain. His innings included 22 boundaries and two sixes and laid the foundation for a massive total.Ishan Kishan provided the perfect support act with a breathtaking 125 off just 79 deliveries. After reaching his fifty in 52 balls, the left-hander went on to play his next 53 runs in just 19 runs, helping India build a definitive 224-run partnership with Gill for the third wicket.Iyer later chipped in with 26 runs as India piled up 402 before being dismissed in 49.5 overs. The visitors were set a daunting target of 403, with India aiming to seal the three-match series after taking a 1-0 lead.While Gill’s century grabbed the headlines, the match also marked another major career milestone for Iyer, who continues to cement his reputation as one of India’s most reliable ODI performers.