Virat Kohli Shatters Records: The Road to 26,000 Runs and a Controversial Century

On October 19, Virat Kohli achieved a significant cricket milestone by becoming the fastest player in cricket history to reach 26,000 international runs, breaking the previous record held by the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. He achieved this feat during a World Cup match in Pune. Virat Kohli's remarkable record now places him as the fourth-highest run-scorer in world cricket, with a total of 26,026 runs across all formats in 567 innings. The only players ahead of him in terms of total runs are Ricky Ponting (27,483), Kumara Sangakkara (28,016), and Sachin Tendulkar (34,357). This incredible achievement has moved him ahead of Mahela Jayawardene, who now holds the fifth position in the list of the highest run-scorers in cricket.

In addition to his overall records, Virat Kohli's performance in ODI World Cups is noteworthy. He has scored 1,289 runs in 30 World Cup matches, with 3 centuries and an impressive World Cup batting average of 53.70. His World Cup journey began in 2011 when he scored an unbeaten century on his World Cup debut against Bangladesh. Notably, his most recent World Cup century, which he achieved on October 19, 2023, also came against Bangladesh. In the 2015 World Cup, he scored another century, this time against Pakistan in Adelaide.

However, Virat Kohli's 48th century during the World Cup match against Bangladesh was surrounded by controversy. Umpire Richard Kettleborough came under scrutiny for his decision not to award a Wide Ball during a critical moment in the match. When Virat Kohli was at 97 runs and Nasum Ahmed was bowling, India needed just 2 runs to secure the victory. In limited-overs cricket, a delivery that strays too far down the leg side is typically referred to as a wide ball. In this instance, Kettleborough chose not to make that call, leading to discussions and debates about the decision.

It's important to note that this was Virat Kohli's fourth World Cup appearance, and he is one of the few players, along with R Ashwin, who was part of India's world champion team in the 2011 World Cup.