Kohli on Track to Smash Records: Fastest Ever to 27,000 International Runs

Virat Kohli has been the poster boy for Indian cricket for the past decade and a half. During his illustrious career, Kohli has smashed several records. However, he has the chance to overcome Sachin Tendulkar’s record and become the fast batsman ever to reach 27,000 international runs during India’s upcoming test series against Bangladesh.

The Delhi-born batsman will have history within his sights when he comes out to bat at the Chepauk in Chennai. The former Indian captain hasn’t played red-ball cricket in nine months, which means he missed India’s series whitewash against England earlier this year due to personal reasons. However, after a much-deserved break Kohli will be motivated to create history, as he is just 58 runs shy of becoming just the fourth player ever to reach 27,000 international runs. Only three other batsmen in the history of cricket have ever achieved this distinction. The likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting and Kumar Sangakkara have reached the 27,000 international runs mark.  

Furthermore, Kohli will become the fastest to achieve this distinction, overcoming Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of 27,000 runs in 623 innings. Meanwhile, if Kohli scores more than 58 runs in the 1st test against Bangladesh, he would have reached the 27,000-run milestone in just 592 (or 593) innings. Besides this, the former Indian captain also hold the record for fastest player to reach various milestones, including 16,000 through to 26,000 international cricket.  

Kohli is also just 152 runs away from becoming the fourth Indian to score 9,000 Test runs. If he achieves this in his first innings against Bangladesh, he’ll tie with Sunil Gavaskar, who reached the mark in 192 innings. Although Kohli would be the slowest Indian to hit this milestone, it would still be remarkable, as he’d be the first player of the 21st century to do so. Kohli's return is eagerly awaited, as he stands on the brink of making history, potentially becoming the first cricketer in the 147-year history of international cricket to reach 27,000 runs in fewer than 600 innings. 

The first test match between India and Bangladesh will be played at Chennai’s Chepauk Stadium from 19th September (Thursday) to 23rd September (Monday). After the conclusion of the first test, both teams will travel North for the 2nd Test match, which will be held in Kanpur. The 2nd Test match will start from 27th September (Friday) and continue till 1st October (Tuesday). 

Also Read: Everything You Need to Know About Upcoming Test Series Between India vs Bangladesh