Virat Kohli Joins Fastest To Reach 5,000 Runs | Virat Kohli Reached 5,000 Runs | Top Ten Fastest Batsman To Join 5000 Runs

Virat Kohli Joins Fastest To Reach 5,000 Runs | Virat Kohli Reached 5,000 Runs | Top Ten Fastest Batsman To Join 5000 Runs

India batsman Virat Kohli becomes the joint fastest with viv Richards to reach 5,000 One-Day International (ODI) runs when he reached the landmark against the West Indies in the second ODI at Kochi on Thursday, 21st November 2013. Kohli achieved the feat in just 120 matches and 114 innings. He has so far amassed 5005 runs, which included 17 centuries and 27 fifties in his short career.

In terms of innings, Kohli has equalled the record of Sir Viv Richards of West Indies, who also achieved the feat in 114 innings way back in 1987 but it was Viv's 126th match. Kohli - currently ranked the best ODI batsman, needed to score 81 runs in the match to match Richards' feat. A fluent shot over deep mid-wicket boundary helped the Delhi batsman complete the milestone - one appreciated by spectators at Kochi's Nehru Stadium. The Indian vice-captain - adjudged man-of-the-match - scored 86 runs with nine fours and two sixes before being dismissed by Jason Holder.

From India, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (135 innings), Gautam Gambhir (135 innings) and Sachin Tendulkar (138 innings) are the next fastest batsmen to reach the 5000 runs in ODIs. In the top ten fastest batsman list, we have three West Indians - Viv Richards (114 innings), Brian Lara (118 innings) and Gordon Greenidge (121 innings), three Australians - Dean Jones (128 innings), Matthew Hayden (133 innings) and Michael Bevan (135 innings), and two South Africans - AB de Villiers (124 innings) and Graeme Smith (131 innings).

The 25-year-old batsman has been in excellent form this year and last month, displaced South Africa's Hashim Amla from the top of the ODI rankings. He currently is leading the pack of ODI batsmen but has another Protean in AB de Villiers close on his heels. He has played a crucial role along with openers Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma in India’s spectacular run of form since the ICC Champions Trophy 2013.