Virat Kohli has once again reminded the cricketing world why he is called King Kohli. During India's first One Day International against New Zealand at the Kotambi International Stadium in Vadodara on January 11, 2026, the 37-year-old batting maestro crossed a historic milestone that places him among the greatest to ever play the game.

With a masterful innings of 93 runs off 91 balls, Kohli surpassed Sri Lanka's legendary Kumar Sangakkara to become the second-highest run scorer in international cricket history. Kohli now has 28,068 runs across all three formats of the game, trailing only his compatriot and childhood idol Sachin Tendulkar, who amassed 34,357 runs during his illustrious career.

The achievement is made even more remarkable by the speed at which Kohli reached this landmark. He became the fastest player in cricket history to cross 28,000 international runs, accomplishing the feat in just 624 innings. This surpasses Tendulkar's long-held mark of 644 innings, a testament to Kohli's extraordinary consistency over nearly two decades of international cricket.

Kohli's knock was not merely statistical; it was match-winning. New Zealand had posted a formidable total of 300 for 8, but Kohli anchored the Indian chase with his 77th ODI half-century, guiding his team to victory with four wickets and six balls to spare. For his efforts, he was named Player of the Match.

Reflecting on his journey after the match, Kohli was characteristically thoughtful. If I look back at my whole journey, then it is nothing short of a dream-come-true for me, he said. I have always known my abilities, but I also knew I had to work extremely hard to get where I am today. I feel really proud of it.

The Indian star also revealed how his approach to batting has evolved over the years. I back myself to counterattack now rather than just trying to play the situation, he explained. You back yourself enough to put the opposition on the back foot.

Kohli's career has been nothing short of extraordinary. Since making his international debut in an ODI against Sri Lanka in 2008, he has accumulated runs at a pace and consistency that few have matched. While he has retired from Test and T20 international cricket, he continues to dominate the ODI format, with his sights reportedly set on the 2027 ODI World Cup alongside fellow veteran Rohit Sharma.

Following the Vadodara triumph, the ICC confirmed that Kohli had returned to the number one spot in the Men's ODI Batting Rankings, further cementing his status as the premier batter in the 50-over format.

The series against New Zealand continued with the second ODI on January 14, which New Zealand won by seven wickets to level the series at one-all. The decisive third ODI is scheduled for January 18 in Indore, where Kohli will have another opportunity to add to his historic run tally and lead India to a series victory.

As Kohli inches closer to Tendulkar's seemingly insurmountable record, cricket fans around the world are witnessing history in the making. The question on everyone's mind is no longer whether Kohli will be remembered as one of the greatest, but rather how many more records he will break before he finally hangs up his bat.