New Delhi: Virat Kohli, on Thursday, entered the league of Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma, becoming the third Indian batsman to score 1000 runs in ODIs in 2023. Moreover, he secured the fourth position after Rohit, Gill, and Pathum Nissanka in reaching the 1000-run milestone in the 50-over format this year.
Kohli achieved the milestone in his 23rd match of 2023, concurrently breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the most 1000-run years in ODIs. The 34-year-old has achieved this remarkable feat eight times in a calendar year (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2023), establishing himself as a prolific run-scorer in the realm of ODI cricket.
Sachin achieved the feat of accumulating 1000-plus runs seven times (1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003, and 2007). In contrast, Kohli needed 34 runs to reach this milestone, and he achieved it during the World Cup 2023 match against Sri Lanka at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Despite registering a duck against England at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, Kohli has exhibited remarkable performance. The Delhi-born batsman showcased his excellence by scoring an unbeaten century during India’s seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune.
Thereafter, he added 95 runs to his tally, playing a crucial part in the Men in Blue’s four-wicket triumph over Tom Latham’s New Zealand at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Pune
Kohli notched up impressive half-centuries against Australia and Afghanistan. He recently achieved the milestone of becoming the fourth batsman, following Tendulkar, Kumar Sangakkara, and Ricky Ponting, to reach 26,000 runs in international cricket. Undoubtedly, Virat has been the cornerstone of the Indian batting lineup for the past 15 years or so.