Veteran English batter Joe Root carved out a monumental milestone in world cricket during the opening ODI against Sri Lanka at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street. After winning the toss and opting to bat first, England encountered early trouble with the loss of their opening wicket inside the third over. Walking in under pressure, Root needed just 3 runs to touch the 23,000-run barrier in international cricket, and he achieved the mark early in his innings. The feat makes Root the first player from England to cross 23,000 international runs, and only the eighth batter across the globe to reach this prestigious benchmark across combined formats.
Joining Sachin Tendulkar and Modern Cricket Legends
Root now sits alongside the most celebrated names in the history of the sport. India's Sachin Tendulkar stands at the pinnacle of the all-time international run-scoring leaderboard with an astonishing tally of 34,357 runs. India's Virat Kohli follows in second position having accumulated 28,359 runs. Sri Lankan maestro Kumar Sangakkara occupies the third spot with 28,016 runs, while Australia's Ricky Ponting sits fourth with 27,483 runs. Former Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene holds fifth place with 25,957 runs. South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis amassed 25,534 runs to sit sixth, followed by India's Rahul Dravid in seventh with 24,208 runs. Root has now officially entered this exclusive club as its eighth member.
Statistical Breakdown Across All Three Formats
Root's longevity and consistency across different international formats have established him as England's premier run-getter. The traditional red-ball arena remains the cornerstone of his career, with the right-hander piling up 14,278 runs in Test cricket. In fifty-over cricket, Root has been a dependable anchor, compiling 7,829 runs in ODIs. While his appearances in the shortest format have been comparatively limited, he has contributed 893 runs in T20 internationals. Combining his tallies across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is carried him over the historic 23,000-run threshold.
Confirmed Lineups for the Series Opener
Both sides announced strong starting selections for the encounter in Chester-le-Street. Sri Lanka's playing eleven featured Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis, captain and wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis, Pavan Rathnayake, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Sachindu Colombage, Asitha Fernando, and Dilshan Madushanka.
England fielded a lineup consisting of Tom Banton, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, captain Harry Brook, wicketkeeper Jos Buttler, Will Jacks, Rehan Ahmed, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, and Josh Tongue.
