Kohli on the brink of breaking Sachin’s record: GOAT debate heats up

As the Indian cricket team prepares to face Bangladesh in a Test series starting September 19, all eyes will be on Virat Kohli. With Kohli having retired from T20 internationals, this series presents a significant opportunity for the 35-year-old star, who will be competing solely in Test and ODI formats from now on.

Kohli, who has accumulated 80 international centuries, is often compared to the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. Despite these comparisons, Kohli has consistently praised Tendulkar as an unparalleled icon in cricket. Tendulkar holds the record for the most international centuries with 100, while Kohli is second.

In this upcoming series, Kohli has the chance to make history by surpassing another significant milestone set by Tendulkar. To date, Tendulkar is the fastest cricketer to reach 27,000 runs in international cricket, achieving the feat in 623 innings (comprising 226 Test innings, 396 ODI innings, and 1 T20I innings). Kohli, however, is closing in on this record and has the potential to outpace Tendulkar’s achievement.

This is sure to intensify the GOAT debate in the coming days.

Currently, Kohli has played 591 innings across all formats and has scored 26,942 runs. He requires just 58 more runs to reach the 27,000-run mark. If Kohli manages to secure these runs within his next eight innings—an outcome that seems highly plausible given his form—he will become the first cricketer in the 147-year history of international cricket to reach 27,000 runs in fewer than 600 innings.

So far, in addition to Tendulkar, only Australia’s Ricky Ponting and Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara have surpassed 27,000 runs in international cricket. Kohli’s imminent milestone will add another impressive achievement to his illustrious career, solidifying his status as one of cricket's all-time greats. (With inputs from Agencies)