Shreyas Iyer On Verge Of Surpassing Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli To Achieve Mega First In Indian Cricket

Indian cricket team batter Shreyas Iyer is on the verge of surpassing Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli to claim a sensational record ahead of the second ODI encounter against New Zealand on Wednesday. Iyer, who made his comeback to international cricket after a prolonged absence due to injury, has 2966 runs from 68 innings in ODI cricket at an average of 47.83. He needs just 34 runs to become the fastest Indian batter to reach the 3000-run milestone in the format. The record currently belongs to Dhawan who achieved the feat in 72 innings. Kohli completed 3000 ODI runs in 75 innings. Overall, if Iyer can achieve the feat on Wednesday, he will become the fourth-fastest player in the world along with Viv Richards. If Iyer achieves the feat on Wednesday, he will be the first Indian cricketer to reach 3000 ODI runs in under 70 innings. 

The world record belongs to South Africa legend Hashim Amla who scored 3000 runs in 57 innings.

Earlier, Iyer lavished praise on Virat Kohli, saying the batting great has been "walking the talk" for years, the latest being his masterclass in a successful run chase against New Zealand in the ODI series opener.

Kohli struck a fluent 93 off 91 balls as India chased down a target of 301 to register a four-wicket win and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match rubber here on Sunday.

During the innings, Kohli also became the fastest player to reach 28,000 international runs across formats and the second-highest run-scorer in international cricket, behind Sachin Tendulkar.

"Whatever we talk about his innings, it would be less. We have been seeing it for so many years now he's been doing it consistently. The way he rotates the strike and he takes on the bowlers, he basically walks the talk," Iyer said in a video posted by BCCI.

Iyer, who returned to international action after a long injury layoff following a spleen laceration with internal bleeding sustained during the third ODI against Australia in Sydney in October last year, said he was delighted to begin the series on a winning note.

"Great start to the series. Coming back after a while into the team, it feels great to be a part of this squad. More than that, it was a great feeling to share the dressing room with each and every one. I was missing it for quite a while, but I am happy to be back," Iyer said.

(With PTI inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team New Zealand Cricket Team Shreyas Iyer Virat Kohli Shikhar Dhawan India vs New Zealand 2026 Cricket