Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli achieved another unprecedented milestone in one day international cricket during the opening fixture of the five match series against New Zealand at Auckland's Eden Park. Chasing a modest target, Kohli walked out at his customary number three position and, upon nudging his twelfth run of the innings, became the very first batter in one day international history to aggregate 13,000 runs at the number three spot.
Joining Sachin Tendulkar in Rare Batting Company
Crossing the 13,000 run mark while anchored to a single batting slot has been achieved only once before in the history of fifty-over cricket, when Sachin Tendulkar amassed his runs as an opening batsman. Kohli has now become only the second cricketer ever, following Tendulkar, to score 13,000 or more ODI runs from a single batting position. Over the course of his illustrious career, Kohli has slotted in at number three in 254 matches across 251 innings, constructing his tally of more than 13,000 runs at a remarkable batting average of 61.
All-Time Run Accumulators at the One-Down Slot
Looking at the historical charts for number three batters in one day cricket, Kohli now sits unchallenged at the summit. Australia's Ricky Ponting remains the only other player in international cricket history to have breached the 10,000 run barrier from this specific batting slot, having finished his career with 12,662 runs at one down. Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Sangakkara occupies third place on the list with 9,747 runs, followed by South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis with 7,774 runs, and New Zealand's Kane Williamson in fifth position with 6,504 runs. With four fixtures still remaining in this ongoing bilateral tour, Kohli has ample opportunity to extend his statistical lead even further.
Sharp Slip Catch Anchored New Zealand's Cheap Collapse
Prior to his record-setting exploits with the bat, Kohli had already left his mark on the contest with an athletic moment in the field. New Zealand struggled right from the outset after electing to bat first, folding meekly for a total of just 185 runs. During that innings, debutant paceman Anshul Kamboj induced an outside edge from Kiwi batter Nathan Smith, and Kohli reacted swiftly at second slip to pull off a sensational diving catch. His spirited celebration set the tone for the fielding side. When India began their chase of 186, opening batsman Rohit Sharma fell in the very first over with the team score at just one, departing for a duck. Kohli immediately took charge of the situation and steered India while reaching his historic milestone.
