Virat Kohli Poised to Break Tendulkar’s Record Before New Zealand Series

Indian cricket star Virat Kohli is on the verge of breaking a remarkable record previously held by Sachin Tendulkar. Kohli, currently at 27,975 runs in international cricket, needs just 25 more runs to reach the milestone of 28,000 runs.

Potential Milestone Before New Zealand Series

As he gears up for the ODI series against New Zealand commencing January 11, Kohli is set to become the fastest player to achieve this milestone. If successful, he will join the elite company of Tendulkar and Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara, making him only the third player in history to reach this feat.

Record Comparisons

The pace at which Kohli is approaching this record is noteworthy. Tendulkar completed his 28,000 runs in 644 innings while Sangakkara did so in 666 innings. In contrast, Kohli has achieved his runs in just 623 innings, placing him in a prime position to surpass their records.

Preparation and Performance

Before the New Zealand series, Kohli will compete in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Delhi. His next match is against Railways on January 6 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Rohan Jaitley, President of the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA), confirmed Kohli’s participation, stating he intends to play in three matches to prepare for the ODIs.

• Kohli has performed impressively in previous matches, scoring 131 and 77 runs.
• He also became the fastest to 16,000 List A runs in just 330 innings, surpassing Tendulkar’s 391 innings record.

Upcoming ODI Series Details

The Indian ODI squad will gather in Vadodara by January 8, with Kohli expected to potentially join a day early for training. The three-match ODI series against New Zealand will kick off on January 11.

Player Management

In other team news, key players Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah will be rested from the ODIs. This decision comes as part of a workload management strategy developed by the sports science team, keeping in mind their importance for the upcoming T20 World Cup starting February 7.

As anticipation builds for the series against New Zealand, all eyes will be on Kohli as he aims to etch his name further into cricket history.