Virat Kohli Scripts Never-Seen-Before History, Breaches 13000-Run Mark At No. 3 In ODIs

Virat Kohli fastest to 13,000 runs at No. 3 in ODIs© X (Twitter)

An icon of the sport, Virat Kohli added another milestone to his resume in the first ODI of the five-match series against New Zealand in Auckland. The 37-year-old became the first player in world cricket to cross 13,000 runs at the number 3 position in One Day Internationals. Entering the opening match at Eden Park, Auckland, Kohli required just 12 runs to reach the milestone. He achieved the landmark off the 13th ball of his innings, in the seventh over of India's chase of 186.

This feat further solidifies Kohli's status as one of the format's greatest top-order batters. He accomplished the milestone in just 251 innings, boasting an astonishing average well above 60 at the number 3 position, alongside 48 centuries and nearly 70 half-centuries.

While there are only a handful of cricketers who have crossed the 10,000-run mark across all formats, Kohli, astonishingly, has amassed 13,000 runs in ODIs alone while batting at the number 3 spot. In the process, Kohli also increased the gap over former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who sits second on the all-time list for the most ODI runs at number 3.

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Ponting accumulated 12,662 runs in 330 innings at the position during his legendary career. Kohli and Ponting remain the only two players in ODI history to have surpassed the 10,000-run mark at number 3.

Batters With Most Runs At No. 3:

Virat Kohli: 13,000 runs at an average of 61.55*

Ricky Ponting:12,662 runs at an average of 42.48

Kumar Sangakkara: 9,747 runs at an average of 44.71

Jacques Kallis:7,774 runs at an average of 45.72

Kane Williamson: 6,504 runs at an average of 51.61

Babar Azam:6,054 runs at an average of 55.54

Joe Root: 5,525 runs at an average of 53.12

Kohli has had a phenomenal campaign for India in ODI cricket this year. Before the start of the series against New Zealand, he scored runs consistently across 2026, amassing 552 runs in nine ODI innings at an average of 69. Before arriving in New Zealand, Kohli had scored two centuries this year, including a top score of 139 not out off 88 balls against the West Indies, alongside three half-centuries.

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