Kohli joins elite club with 9,000 runs in Test cricket

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Virat Kohli has joined an exclusive group of cricketers after scoring his 9,000th run in Test matches during a fluent 70 on day three of the first Test against New Zealand. Kohli’s second innings performance came after a rare failure in the first innings, where he was dismissed for a duck.

Batting at No. 3 for only the second time in the match, Kohli overcame his modest record in this position, which had seen him average just 19.40. His composed half-century in the second innings was his first in Test cricket since December 2023, marking a key return to form. He found crucial support from Sarfaraz Khan as the duo forged a 136-run partnership, which helped India recover and stabilize their innings.

Kohli needed 53 runs to surpass the 9,000-run mark and reached his half-century in 70 balls, showcasing his dominance with five boundaries and a majestic six off New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel. The Indian captain then took an additional nine balls to accumulate the three runs necessary to reach the milestone.

Kohli’s achievement places him among cricket’s elite, becoming the 18th player to cross 9,000 runs in Test cricket. He joins fellow modern-day greats Joe Root and Steve Smith as the only active players in this exclusive club. In Indian cricket history, he follows in the footsteps of legends Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sunil Gavaskar, becoming the fourth Indian to achieve this significant milestone.

However, Kohli’s road to 9,000 runs hasn’t been the fastest. With 197 innings under his belt, he is the sixth-slowest to reach this mark. The record for the slowest is jointly held by Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Steve Waugh, who both needed 216 innings. On the other end of the spectrum, Kumar Sangakkara holds the record for the fastest, achieving the feat in just 172 innings. Among the Indian players, Kohli’s journey has been slower compared to Dravid (174 innings), Tendulkar (179 innings), and Gavaskar (192 innings).

Kohli’s next goal will be to overtake Graeme Smith on the all-time run-scoring list, with the South African great holding a lead of over 200 runs. Within the Indian context, Kohli needs another 1,100 runs to surpass Gavaskar’s total and secure third place on India’s all-time run-scorers list. With two more Tests against New Zealand and a challenging five-Test series in Australia set for December, Kohli is well-positioned to climb further in the rankings by the year’s end.