Virat Kohli closing in on monumental record, requires 53 runs to stand alongside Sachin Tendulkar in elite club

New Delhi: The Indian Cricket Team is hard at work preparing for their upcoming battle against New Zealand in the first Test of a three-match series, set to take place at the iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Fans are eagerly anticipating the showdown, with all eyes on star batter Virat Kohli. The Delhi-born player is on the cusp of achieving another milestone in his illustrious career, needing just 53 runs to join the exclusive 9000-run club in Test cricket.

Talking about the statistics, with 8,947 runs from 115 matches at an average of 48.89, including 29 centuries and 30 half-centuries, he has consistently broken all the odds to become one of India’s finest batters. Kohli will become the fourth Indian player and the 18th overall to reach this historic landmark, joining the likes of legends Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sunil Gavaskar.

It is worth mentioning that, the legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar is leading in the elite list with 15,921 runs in 200 Tests. Dravid follows with 13,265 runs in 163 matches, while Gavaskar scored 10,122 runs in 125 Tests. The 35-year-old is also on the verge of becoming only the third Indian batter, after Dravid and Tendulkar, to score 1000 runs in Tests against New Zealand.

Virat Kohli’s statistics against New Zealand:

Currently, Virat Kohli has smashed 866 runs in 11 matches against the Black Caps. If he manages to score 134 runs in this series, he will not only reach the 1000-run mark but also surpass the tallies of former opener Virender Sehwag (883 runs) and Cheteshwar Pujara (867 runs) against the BlackCaps.

The year 2024 has been challenging for Team India’s modern-day great, with only one 50+ score in 16 matches across all formats. In the last Test series against Bangladesh, he fell earl in both the innings of Chennai Test. But in Kanpur, he registered scores of 47 and 29* which came in no time. This home series against New Zealand is a good opportunity for him to get back to his sublime form.