Virat Kohli is the fastest to 25,000 international runs. He got there in his 549th innings, during the second Test against Australia in Delhi in February 2023, 28 innings quicker than Sachin Tendulkar, whose 577 had been the record since 2006.
Only six men have reached 25,000 runs across Tests, ODIs and T20Is. Tendulkar was the first, and he is still the only one past 30,000, with 34,357. Kohli has since moved to second on the all-time list with 28,527, ahead of Kumar Sangakkara (28,016) and Ricky Ponting (27,483). Figures are from ESPNcricinfo Statsguru, to 20 October 2026; the innings counts below are worked out from each player’s innings-by-innings record.
Fastest to 25,000 international runs
| Player | Team | Innings to 25,000 | Match (start date) | Career runs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | India | 549 | Test v Australia, Delhi, 17 Feb 2023 | 28,527 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | India | 577 | ODI v South Africa, Centurion, 3 Dec 2006 | 34,357 |
| Ricky Ponting | Australia | 588 | ODI v New Zealand, Napier, 3 Mar 2010 | 27,483 |
| Jacques Kallis | South Africa | 594 | Test v Australia, Brisbane, 9 Nov 2012 | 25,534 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | Sri Lanka | 608 | T20I v India, Mirpur, 6 Apr 2014 | 28,016 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | Sri Lanka | 701 | ODI v Pakistan, Hambantota, 23 Aug 2014 | 25,957 |
England’s Joe Root is the nearest active player, with 23,074 runs from 523 innings.
Virat Kohli: 25,000 international runs in 549 innings
Kohli was the second Indian and the sixth player overall to reach 25,000 international runs. He retired from T20Is after the 2024 T20 World Cup and from Tests in May 2025, and still plays ODIs, so he is the only active member of the club. He is also its only member with a career average above 50 (52.82), and his 86 international hundreds are second only to Tendulkar’s 100.
He has been the quickest to every ODI milestone from 12,000 to 14,000 runs as well: 12,000 in his 242nd innings (December 2020), 13,000 in his 267th (September 2023) and 14,000 in his 287th (February 2025).
Sachin Tendulkar: 25,000 international runs in 577 innings
Tendulkar became the first player to 25,000 international runs in an ODI against South Africa at Centurion in December 2006, and his 577 innings stood as the record for more than 16 years. He finished with 34,357 runs, 5,830 more than Kohli, the next best, at an average of 48.52 over a 24-year career. He is the leading run-scorer in both Tests (15,921) and ODIs (18,426) and the only player with 100 international hundreds.
Ricky Ponting: 25,000 international runs in 588 innings
Ponting was the second player to 25,000, in an ODI against New Zealand at Napier in March 2010, and he is still the only Australian to get there. He finished with 27,483 runs in 560 matches, with 71 hundreds and 146 fifties, and is now fourth on the all-time list behind Tendulkar, Kohli and Sangakkara. As captain he led Australia to the 2003 and 2007 World Cup titles.
Photo credits: Alamy