Kohli Closes in on Tendulkar With Landmark Vadodara Knock

Virat Kohli walked out in Vadodara with history within reach and, by the time he walked back on 93, he had officially stepped into a league occupied only by Sachin Tendulkar.

India’s seasoned run-machine not only anchored Team India to a tense win over New Zealand, he also surged past Kumar Sangakkara to become the second-highest run-scorer in men’s international cricket. The Kotambi crowd knew they were witnessing something bigger than just a series opener – this was another chapter in the Kohli vs Tendulkar legacy debate.

Kohli’s chase-masterclass and towering numbers

Chasing a stiff 300-plus target, Kohli slipped seamlessly into that familiar run-chase trance. His 93 was classic King Kohli: eight scorching fours, one soaring six, and not a hint of panic even as wickets fell around him. This was his fifth fifty-plus score in as many ODI innings, underlining a level of consistency that has become almost unfair to bowlers.

With this knock, Kohli climbed to 28,068 international runs, going past Sangakkara’s 28,016 and sitting now as the lone active batter in Tendulkar’s rear-view mirror. The all-time list suddenly looks very Indian: Tendulkar on 34,357, Kohli next, and the rest trailing.

The numbers feel less like milestones and more like markers on a journey that refuses to slow down. For Indian fans who grew up on the Master Blaster and now live in the era of King Kohli, it’s like watching two different gods rule the same kingdom in successive generations.

Can Kohli really hunt down Sachin?

Tendulkar’s mountain of runs still looms large, but Kohli’s fitness, hunger and white-ball dominance keep the conversation alive. Every innings now has double stakes: a result for India and a step closer to a record once thought untouchable.

If he sustains even a fraction of this form for the next few years, that 34,357 mark will no longer feel like a distant summit. It will start looking like a target – and there is nothing Kohli loves more than a target to chase.

For now, Vadodara will be remembered as the day he officially broke free from the pack and began the final stretch of a two-man race in cricket history.