Virat Kohli surpasses Sangakkara to become second-highest run-scorer in ODI history

Virat Kohli added yet another remarkable achievement to his illustrious career as he overtook Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara to become the second-highest run-scorer in One-Day International (ODI) cricket history on Saturday.

The milestone came during India’s third ODI against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), where Kohli produced a composed 74 off 81 balls to guide India to a comprehensive victory.

With this innings, the former Indian captain’s career tally rose to 14,255 runs in 305 ODIs, surpassing Sangakkara’s 14,234 runs scored in 404 matches. Kohli now stands second only to Sachin Tendulkar, who leads the chart with 18,426 runs in 463 ODIs.

The 36-year-old’s ODI record remains extraordinary — boasting an average of 57.71, a strike rate of 93.26, and an incredible 51 centuries and 75 half-centuries.

Among the top ten all-time ODI run-scorers, Kohli is the only batter to maintain an average above 50, underscoring his consistency and dominance across formats.

With his latest knock, Kohli also went past Tendulkar’s tally for most white-ball runs in international cricket, further cementing his place among the modern greats.

Top five run-scorers in ODIs

Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 18,426 runs

Virat Kohli (India) – 14,255 runs

Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) – 14,234 runs

Ricky Ponting (Australia) – 13,704 runs

Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) – 13,430 runs