Virat Kohli added another remarkable achievement to his already glittering ODI career on Wednesday (November 4). The former India captain became the first batter in the world to score 13,000 runs while batting at No. 3 in One-Day Internationals.

Kohli reached the milestone during India’s first ODI against New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland. He needed 12 runs to complete 13,000 runs at the position and got there on the 13th ball of his innings, during the sixth over of India’s chase of 186.

The 37-year-old is now comfortably ahead of the other batters on the list. Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting occupies the second spot with 12,662 runs from 330 innings at No. 3. Kumar Sangakkara is third with 9,747 runs.

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Kohli and Ponting remain the only two batters to have crossed the 10,000-run mark at this position in ODI cricket.

Most Runs At No. 3 In ODI Cricket

PLAYER COUNTRY TIME SPAN MATCHES INNINGS RUNS BEST SCORE AVERAGE 100 50
Virat Kohli India 2009-2026 254 251 13000* 183 61.6 48 69
Ricky Ponting Australia, ICC 1995-2012 335 330 12662 164 42.48 29 74
Kumar Sangakkara Sri Lanka, ICC, Asia 2001-2015 243 238 9747 169 44.71 18 66
Jacques Kallis South Africa, Africa, ICC 1997-2014 204 200 7774 139 45.72 13 57
Kane Williamson New Zealand 2010-2025 143 140 6504 148 51.61 13 44
Babar Azam Pakistan 2016-2026 125 124 6054 158 55.54 20 32
Joe Root England 2013-2026 129 123 5525 166* 53.12 14 37
Dean Jones Australia 1985-1994 132 131 5100 145 43.58 7 39
Brain Lara West Indies 1992-2007 109 106 4447 169 45.84 12 26
Steve Smith Australia 2014-2025 97 95 4369 164 52.01 11 27
Marvan Atapattu Sri Lanka 1996-2007 122 120 4142 132* 38.35 4 33
Rahul Dravid India 1996-2011 112 109 4000 153 38.83 7 27

Kohli Eyes Ricky Ponting’s Record Against New Zealand

The No. 3 milestone is not the only record Kohli could achieve in Auckland. The Indian batter also has an opportunity to become the highest run-scorer in ODI cricket against New Zealand.

Ponting currently holds the record with 1,971 runs in 50 innings. Kohli started the match with 1,909 runs against the Black Caps from 37 innings. He needs another 63 runs to move past the former Australian captain and claim the top spot.

Sachin Tendulkar is third on the list with 1,750 runs, followed by Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara, who scored 1,568 runs against New Zealand.

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Kohli Closing In On Another Sachin Tendulkar Record

Kohli is also within touching distance of another major ODI record held by Sachin Tendulkar. The 37-year-old needs 54 runs in the ongoing match to become the highest run-scorer in ODI run chases.

Tendulkar currently leads the chart with 8,720 runs from 232 innings in the second innings of ODI matches. Kohli has scored 8,679 runs in 169 innings and is closing in on the legendary batter.

What makes Kohli’s numbers even more impressive is his average of 66.16 in ODI run chases. He has also scored 30 centuries and 45 half-centuries in these innings.

Rohit Sharma is third on the list with 6,801 runs, while Sri Lankan legend Sanath Jayasuriya occupies fourth place with 5,742 runs.

Kohli Also Nearing 1,000 International Runs In New Zealand

There is another landmark within Kohli’s reach. He needs 47 runs in the first ODI to complete 1,000 international runs on New Zealand soil.

Only three Indian batters have achieved this feat so far: Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Mohammad Azharuddin.

Kohli, who made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in Dambulla on August 18, 2008, has continued to rewrite records throughout his career. The New Zealand series could provide him with another opportunity to add several more milestones to his name.