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Virat Kohli became the first batter in ODI history to score 13,000 runs at No. 3, reaching the landmark during India’s five-wicket win over New Zealand in the series opener at Eden Park, Auckland, on November 4, 2026. He needed only 12 runs at the start of the match. The Virat Kohli 13,000 ODI runs milestone is a first.
The Milestone Moment
Kohli walked to the crease early on Wednesday after Rohit Sharma fell for a six-ball duck, caught by Mitchell Santner off Kyle Jamieson, with India chasing 186. He needed only 12 runs to reach the mark and got there off the 13th ball he faced, clipping a short ball from Jamieson towards long leg for a single. The Board of Control for Cricket in India marked the moment on social media as Kohli raised his bat at Eden Park. He reached the mark quickly, and then carried on to a match-winning 74 — a reminder that the record was a staging post in the innings, not its purpose.
Virat Kohli 13,000 ODI Runs: A Record Built Over 251 Innings
The Virat Kohli 13,000 ODI runs milestone was reached in his 251st innings at the position, at an average of 61.61, with 48 centuries and nearly 70 half-centuries. The numbers underline how completely he has owned the position since moving there early in his career. Ricky Ponting of Australia is second on the list with 12,662 runs at No. 3, at an average of 42.48, while Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara follows with 9,747. Kohli and Ponting are the only two batters to have crossed 10,000 runs at the position. Before Kohli, only Sachin Tendulkar had passed 13,000 runs at a single batting position in ODI cricket — as an opener. Kohli had already reached 15,000 ODI runs overall against West Indies in September 2026.
Most Runs at No. 3 in ODI Cricket
| Batter | Runs at No. 3 | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 13,000* | 61.61 |
| Ricky Ponting | 12,662 | 42.48 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | 9,747 | — |
Kohli Also Passes Tendulkar’s Chase Record
The Auckland innings brought a second record. Kohli scored 74 off 51 balls, hitting 13 fours and a six, and in doing so moved past Tendulkar for the most runs in ODI run chases, taking his tally to 8,741 against Tendulkar’s 8,720. Rain interrupted the match when India were 54 for 1 after 10.5 overs, with Kohli unbeaten on 29 off 27 balls, before play resumed with a revised target. The innings also pushed his ODI average in New Zealand past 50, giving him an average above 50 in all four SENA countries — South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia.
India Win the Series Opener
New Zealand were bowled out for 185 in 40.2 overs after being put in to bat, with Arshdeep Singh taking four wickets, Gurnoor Brar three and Anshul Kamboj two. India chased a revised target of 143 in 32 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method after rain shortened the match, reaching it in 22.4 overs to win by five wickets. The win gives India a 1–0 lead in the five-match ODI series, with Kohli returning to the ODI side alongside Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul for the series opener.
Kohli’s Remarkable 2026 Form
The record continues a remarkable year for Kohli in ODI cricket. Before the New Zealand series he had scored 552 runs in nine ODI innings in 2026 at an average of 69. Including the Auckland knock, he has 626 runs in 10 ODIs this year at an average of 69.56 and a strike rate of 120.62. Since November 2025 he has scored 854 runs in 12 innings at an average of 85.40, with four hundreds. The innings came a day before his 38th birthday, and with the 2027 World Cup on the horizon, Kohli’s form at No. 3 remains central to India’s plans.
What the Record Means
No. 3 is the anchor’s position in ODI cricket — the batter who steadies the innings after an early wicket and builds the platform for the finish. Kohli has made it his own for more than a decade, and the Virat Kohli 13,000 ODI runs record puts distance between him and every other batter to have played there. Ponting’s 12,662 was long regarded as the benchmark; Kohli passed it in January 2026 and has now gone further still, at an average more than 19 runs higher than the Australian’s. The record is another line in a career that already includes the most ODI centuries and the most runs in ODI chases — and it arrived, fittingly, in a chase India won.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How many ODI runs does Virat Kohli have at No. 3?
Kohli has 13,000 ODI runs at No. 3, the first batter in history to reach the mark. He got there in 251 innings at an average of 61.61, with 48 centuries and nearly 70 half-centuries.
Who held the previous record for most ODI runs at No. 3?
Ricky Ponting of Australia, with 12,662 runs. Kohli passed Ponting’s total in January 2026 before reaching 13,000 in November.
How many runs did Kohli score in the Auckland match?
Kohli scored 74 off 51 balls, with 13 fours and a six, as India beat New Zealand by five wickets in the rain-shortened first ODI at Eden Park.
What is the score in the India-New Zealand ODI series?
India lead 1–0 after the first of the five-match series, played at Eden Park, Auckland, on November 4, 2026.
