On Day 4 of the second Test match between India and Bangladesh in Kanpur, Virat Kohli achieved a new milestone in his incredible career by becoming the fastest player to score 27,000 international runs. The record was previously held by the “God of Cricket“—Sachin Tendulkar, who accomplished the feat in 623 innings. Kohli achieved this record in just 594 innings, becoming the only player to do so in under 600 innings. Australia’s Ricky Ponting and Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara are among the other batsmen to score 27,000 runs.
Fastest to 27,000 International Runs
| 1st | 594 innings | Virat Kohli |
| 2nd | 623 innings | Sachin Tendulkar |
| 3rd | 648 innings | Kumar Sangakkara |
| 4th | 650 innings | Ricky Ponting |
Kohli’s record-breaking feat came in India’s endeavor to produce a result in the rain-affected Kanpur Test. India played aggressively in their 1st inning to shatter several batting records in tests. Indian openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and captain Rohit Sharma led the charge in their rapid response after India bundled Bangladesh for 233.
In the last session of Day 4, India declared their innings after 34.4 overs, scoring a quick 285/9 to take a 52-run lead. With a scorching 72 from 51 balls, including 12 boundaries, Yashasvi Jaiswal top-scored. Despite losing wickets frequently, the scoring rate remained strong with contributions from Shubman Gill and KL Rahul, as well as 23 from Rohit Sharma off just 11 balls and 47 from Virat Kohli.
India’s aggressive play indicates their willingness to force a victory and maintain their lead at the top of the World Test Championship standings, given that the previous two days were ruined by rain. They would have a better chance of making the WTC final for the third consecutive year if they defeated Bangladesh 2-0 in the series. However, a tie would make India’s route tougher, forcing them to win five of their remaining eight matches to secure a position in the final.
