Virat Kohli Breaks Sachin Tendulkar's Long-Standing Record, Only Behind Ricky Ponting In Elite List

Virat Kohli has once again etched his name into the history books, surpassing the legendary Sachin Tendulkar to become the highest run-scorer for India against New Zealand in One Day Internationals. The milestone was reached during the second India vs New Zealand ODI series in January 2026. Entering the second match of the series, Kohli was level with Tendulkar's long-standing record after scoring 93 runs in the opening match. He surpassed the Master Blaster with a boundary on the first ball he played. In the process, he cemented his status as the most prolific Indian batter against the Black Caps in the 50-over format.

While Kohli has made the No. 1 spot among Indians his own, he is still quite behind Australia legend Ricky Ponting in the global list.

Players With Most Runs Against New Zealand (ODIs):

1. Ricky Ponting (Australia): 51 Matches | 1,971 Runs | 45.83 Average

2. Virat Kohli (India): 35 Matches | 1,751+ Runs | 56.40 Average

3. Sachin Tendulkar (India): 42 Matches | 1,750 Runs | 46.05 Average

4. Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka): 47 Matches | 1,519 Runs | 33.75 Average

Records Keep Tumbling For Virat Kohli

This feat against the Black Caps was merely the tip of the iceberg in what has been a record-shattering week for Kohli. During the first ODI in Vadodara on 11 January, he achieved a monumental global milestone by becoming the fastest player in history to reach 28,000 international runs.

Kohli reached the landmark in just 624 innings, comfortably beating Tendulkar's previous world record of 644 innings. In the same breath, he overtook Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara (28,016 runs) to become the second-highest run-scorer in the history of international cricket, trailing only Tendulkar's career total.

The timing of this record-breaking spree coincides with Kohli's return to the pinnacle of the sport. On 14 January 2026, the ICC officially confirmed that Kohli has reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the Men's ODI Batting Rankings.

Dethroning his teammate Rohit Sharma, Kohli returned to the top for the first time since July 2021. This marks his 11th distinct spell as the world's top-ranked ODI batter, a testament to his incredible longevity at the age of 37. His recent "purple patch" includes an astonishing streak of five consecutive 50-plus scores in ODIs, a run that has left bowlers worldwide searching for answers.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team New Zealand Cricket Team Virat Kohli Sachin Tendulkar Ricky Ponting India vs New Zealand 2026 Cricket