New Delhi: Virat Kohli added another remarkable milestone to his extraordinary international career, becoming the first batter in ODI history to cross 13,000 runs while batting at the No. 3 position.
The Indian batting superstar achieved the historic landmark during the opening ODI against New Zealand at Eden Park, Auckland, further strengthening his reputation as one of the greatest one-day international batters of all time.
Kohli entered the contest with 12,988 runs at the No. 3 position and needed just 12 more to reach the unprecedented milestone. He completed the feat in the 13th delivery of his innings, working a delivery from New Zealand pacer Kyle Jamieson towards deep backward square leg to collect a single.
The former India captain had to arrive at the crease earlier than expected after Rohit Sharma was dismissed for a duck, leaving India at 1/1 in the opening over of their 186-run chase.
Despite the early setback, Kohli’s arrival brought another opportunity to witness history, with the experienced right-hander continuing to add extraordinary numbers to his already illustrious ODI career.
Kohli Leaves Ricky Ponting Behind
Kohli’s latest achievement further extends his advantage over Australia’s legendary batter Ricky Ponting, who previously held the record for the most ODI runs scored at No. 3.
Ponting accumulated 12,662 runs in 330 innings while batting at the position, maintaining an average of 42.48 with 29 centuries and 74 half-centuries.
Kohli had already moved past the Australian great during the third ODI against New Zealand in Indore in January. His latest milestone takes the Indian batter into an exclusive category, having reached 13,000 runs at No. 3 in just 251 innings.
His numbers at the position are extraordinary. Kohli averages 61.61, with 48 centuries and 69 half-centuries, underlining his remarkable consistency across different conditions and opposition attacks.
The fact that Kohli has achieved the milestone in 79 fewer innings than Ponting makes the accomplishment even more impressive.
Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara occupies the third position among the highest run-scorers at No. 3, having accumulated 9,747 runs in 238 innings.
Kohli is the only batter to have crossed the 13,000-run mark at this position, while Ponting remains the only other player to have scored more than 10,000 ODI runs batting at No. 3.
Only Sachin Tendulkar Ahead of Kohli
Kohli’s latest achievement also places him second on the list of players with the most ODI runs at a particular batting position.
India batting legend Sachin Tendulkar remains at the top, having scored an incredible 15,310 ODI runs as an opener.
Kohli moved into second place after surpassing Sri Lankan great Sanath Jayasuriya’s tally of 12,740 runs as an opener.
The comparison highlights Kohli’s versatility and extraordinary run-scoring ability, having excelled both as an opener and predominantly at No. 3 during his international career.
48 of Kohli’s 55 ODI Centuries at No. 3
Another striking aspect of Kohli’s ODI career is the consistency with which he has delivered from the No. 3 position.
Before the opening ODI against New Zealand, Kohli had registered 55 centuries in the 50-over format. An impressive 48 of those hundreds had come while batting at No. 3, accounting for approximately 87 per cent of his ODI centuries.
He had also recently crossed the 15,000-run mark in ODI cricket during India’s series against the West Indies in September.
With records continuing to fall whenever Kohli takes the field, the former India captain remains a central figure in the modern-day batting conversation. His latest landmark is another reminder of the longevity, consistency and extraordinary standards that have defined his ODI career.
