Virat Kohli breaks Sachin Tendulkar’s Record during Asia Cup

In a dazzling display, Virat Kohli shattered a long-standing record held by the legendary Sachin Tendulkar during a scintillating ODI clash against arch-rivals Pakistan.

In the thrilling Super 4 stage of the Asia Cup, Kohli etched his name into cricket history by amassing an astonishing 13,000 ODI runs, joining an elite club of cricketing titans.

The club’s prestigious roster includes the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Sanath Jayasuriya, and Mahela Jayawardene, all of whom previously achieved this monumental milestone.

What truly sets Kohli apart is his pace to get to the 13,000-run mark.

While Tendulkar laboured through 321 innings to achieve this feat, Kohli reached the milestone in a mere 267 innings.

This earns him the distinction of being the fastest to the summit. 

Even cricket luminaries Ponting and Sangakkara took over 300 innings to reach this pinnacle, and Jayasuriya’s journey spanned a formidable 416 innings.

But the Indian maestro’s brilliance doesn’t stop there.

Kohli stands alone among these cricketing legends as the sole player boasting an average exceeding 50.

With a staggering 47 ODI centuries under his belt, he’s tantalisingly close to equaling Tendulkar’s revered record of ODI tons.

Kohli’s innings in the Super 4 clash was nothing short of masterful.

Resuming his bat from a modest overnight score of seven, he skillfully dodged an early review for a caught-behind off Naseem Shah’s delivery.

From there, he transformed into a cricketing virtuoso, orchestrating a symphony of shots that left Pakistan’s bowlers bewildered.

He transitioned from a measured 50 off 55 balls to an unstoppable and unbeaten 122 in just 94 balls.

He delivered a blistering assault that yielded an astonishing 72 runs from his last 39 deliveries.

His partnership with the proactive KL Rahul left a huge impact on the match, cementing India’s formidable position.

Virat Kohli’s love affair with Colombo’s R Premadasa stadium is well-documented.

Averaging an astonishing 128.20 at this hallowed venue in ODIs, he now boasts an incredible four consecutive centuries on this turf. 

The Indian batting dynamo’s affinity for the R Premadasa stadium extends across formats, with a healthy T20I average of 53.4 and three half-centuries in just six matches.

Remarkably, he has yet to grace this venue with his presence in Test cricket.

To amass 13,000 ODI runs is a feat in itself, but his ODI average of 57.62 is second only to Babar Azam among those who have played more than 100 matches.

Kohli’s partnership with Rahul also made history.

Their unbeaten 233-run stand is the highest for India against Pakistan in ODIs, eclipsing the iconic partnership between Navjot Singh Sidhu and Sachin Tendulkar in Sharjah in 1996.

It ranks as India’s second-highest third-wicket partnership in ODIs, achieved at a breathtaking rate of 7.24 runs per over.

Bolstered by centuries from Kohli and Rahul, India amassed a colossal total of 356 runs, matching their previous record against Pakistan in ODIs.

This total now ranks as the ninth-highest ever achieved against Pakistan in men’s ODIs and stands as the highest total scored against Pakistan at a neutral venue in ODIs.

In 14 Asia Cup ODI matches, Virat Kohli boasts a remarkable average of 67.18, featuring four centuries and a strike rate that surpasses 100.

With the potential to draw level with the legendary Kumar Sangakkara in terms of centuries, Kohli’s indomitable spirit continues to shine brightly in the cricketing firmament.

His monumental 183 against Pakistan in the 2012 edition of the tournament remains the highest individual score in Asia Cup history, an ode to his enduring greatness.