Virat Kohli has made a new Record

Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli has once again etched his name in the history books, becoming the fastest player to score 27,000 international runs. Kohli reached this monumental milestone on Day 4 of the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur, achieving the feat in just 594 innings.

By doing so, he surpassed the previous record held by the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who reached the same mark in 623 innings. Kohli’s achievement not only breaks Tendulkar’s record but also sets him apart as the only cricketer to accomplish this feat in under 600 innings.

The elite club of cricketers to have reached 27,000 runs includes Ricky Ponting of Australia and Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara. However, neither Ponting nor Sangakkara achieved this in as few innings as Kohli, cementing his place as one of the greatest players in cricketing history.

Virat Kohli has made a new Record

Here’s a quick look at the fastest players to reach 27,000 international runs:

594 innings – Virat Kohli
623 innings – Sachin Tendulkar
648 innings – Kumar Sangakkara
650 innings – Ricky Ponting

This remarkable feat came as India took control of the second Test against Bangladesh. The Indian side displayed an aggressive approach, drawing comparisons to England’s “Bazball” style of cricket, an attacking strategy popularized by Brendon McCullum since he became the head coach of England’s Test team in 2022. Former England captain Michael Vaughan took notice of India’s approach and took to social media platform X to compare India’s batting performance to Bazball, writing, “I see India are playing Bazball.”

India’s first innings in the Kanpur Test was marked by a flurry of runs. Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and captain Rohit Sharma set the tone with a quickfire response after Bangladesh was bowled out for 233 in the second session. India declared their innings at 285/9 in just 34.4 overs, giving them a 52-run lead. Jaiswal’s explosive 72 off 51 balls, which included 12 fours and two sixes, was complemented by Rohit’s 23 from just 11 deliveries, laced with three sixes and a four. India set records for their fastest team 50 and 100, achieved in just 18 and 61 balls, respectively.

Even as India lost wickets at regular intervals, the aggressive intent remained unchanged. Contributions from Shubman Gill (39), Virat Kohli (47), and KL Rahul kept the momentum going, ensuring India’s run rate stayed high.

India’s desire to push for a result was evident, especially with two days of play already washed out due to rain. The team’s current position at the top of the World Test Championship (WTC) table only adds to the importance of the match. Securing a 2-0 series win against Bangladesh would strengthen India’s chances of making their third consecutive WTC final. However, a draw in the Kanpur Test could make their path more challenging, with five wins needed from the remaining eight matches in the current WTC cycle.

India is now preparing to host New Zealand for a three-Test series before embarking on a five-Test tour of Australia later this year.