Team India batter Virat Kohli is on the verge of a major milestone in international cricket ahead of the three-match ODI series against New Zealand. The veteran batter has the chance to move into second place on the all-time list of men’s international run-scorers, surpassing Sri Lanka legend Kumar Sangakkara.
Kohli trained hard with his teammates in an intense practice session ahead of the series opener in Vadodara. The three-match ODI series will start on January 11 at the BCA Stadium. It will be India’s first international assignment of 2026. After the ODIs, the team will play a five-match T20I series against New Zealand.
Virat Kohli 42 Runs Away From Becoming Second-Highest Run-Scorer
Kohli needs 42 more runs to move into second place on the all-time list of men’s international run-scorers. Kohli has scored 27,975 runs, just behind Kumar Sangakkara, who finished with 28,016 runs.
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Sachin Tendulkar remains far ahead at the top of the elite batters list. Kohli can pass Sangakkara in 624 innings, fewer than the 666 innings Sangakkara took to reach his tally.
| Player | Innings | Runs | Average | 100/50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar | 782 | 34,357 | 48.52 | 100/164 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | 666 | 28,016 | 46.77 | 63/153 |
| Virat Kohli | 623 | 27,975 | 52.58 | 84/145 |
| Ricky Ponting | 668 | 27,483 | 45.95 | 71/146 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | 725 | 25,957 | 39.15 | 54/136 |
| Jacques Kallis | 617 | 25,534 | 49.10 | 62/149 |
Virat Kohli Eyes Major ODI Record Against New Zealand
The 36-year-old needs 93 runs in the upcoming ODI series to become India’s highest run-scorer against New Zealand in the format, going past Sachin Tendulkar. Kohli has scored 1,657 runs against New Zealand from 33 innings, while Tendulkar finished with 1,750 runs in 41 innings.
The senior batter has been in outstanding touch in 50-over cricket. Since the third ODI of the Australia tour, he has registered six straight fifty-plus scores across international matches and the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
He scored an unbeaten 74 against Australia, followed by two centuries against South Africa and a 65 not out that narrowly missed becoming another hundred. Kohli then returned to the Vijay Hazare Trophy after more than a decade and produced back-to-back match-winning knocks of 131 and 77.
India Enter New Zealand ODIs High on Confidence After South Africa Series Win
India come into the New Zealand series after winning a home ODI series against South Africa by 2-1, with Virat Kohli earning the Player of the Series award.
In ODIs between India and New Zealand, the two teams have played 120 matches. India have won 62, New Zealand have won 50, seven games had no result, and one ended in a tie.
Their most recent 50-over meeting came in the 2025 Champions Trophy final, where India, led by Rohit Sharma, beat New Zealand to lift the title in Dubai.
India will also be boosted by the return of captain Shubman Gill and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer, both of whom missed the previous ODI series against South Africa due to injury.
Also read: Virat Kohli’s longstanding relationship with RCB’s home abruptly ends ahead of IPL 2026
