Cricket
oi-Ashish Rana
India started their five-match ODI series against New Zealand with a five-wicket victory at Eden Park in Auckland on Wednesday, 4 November. Chasing a revised target of 143 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method, India reached the target in the 23rd over.
On November 4th in Auckland, India defeated New Zealand by five wickets, with Virat Kohli setting a record as the first player to score 13,000 ODI runs batting at number three, surpassing Ricky Ponting’s total at that position.
While India’s victory gave the team a positive start to the series, Virat Kohli grabbed the spotlight by creating another major record in ODI cricket. The 37-year-old has become the first batter in the world to score 13,000 runs while batting at the number three position.
Virat Kohli Completes 13,000 ODI Runs At No. 3
Kohli needed just 12 runs to reach the historic milestone before the match. He completed the landmark with his 13th delivery during India’s chase in the seventh over.
The former India captain achieved the record in his 251st innings at number three. He has maintained an impressive average of 61.55 at this position, with 48 centuries and nearly 70 half-centuries.
Sublime touch 🫡@imVkohli gets to his 80th ODI half-century in just 35 deliveries.He also becomes the first player to get to 13000 ODI runs, batting at No 3 👏👏#NZvIND #TeamIndia https://t.co/oiEZiY77r9
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 4, 2026
Ricky Ponting Holds Second Position
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting is second on the list of batters with the most ODI runs at number three. He scored 12,662 runs in 330 innings at an average of 42.48.
Kohli and Ponting remain the only two batters to have crossed the 10,000-run mark at this position. Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara is third with 9,747 runs, followed by Jacques Kallis with 7,774 runs.
Batters With Most ODI Runs At Number Three:
- Virat Kohli: 13,000 runs at an average of 61.55
- Ricky Ponting: 12,662 runs at an average of 42.48
- Kumar Sangakkara: 9,747 runs at an average of 44.71
- Jacques Kallis: 7,774 runs at an average of 45.72
- Kane Williamson: 6,504 runs at an average of 51.61
- Babar Azam: 6,054 runs at an average of 55.54
- Joe Root: 5,525 runs at an average of 53.12
Kohli’s Impressive ODI Form In 2026
Kohli has also enjoyed a strong run in ODI cricket this year. Before the New Zealand series, he had scored 552 runs in nine innings at an average of 69.
His performances include two centuries and three half-centuries. One of his biggest contributions came against the West Indies, where he scored an unbeaten 139 off 88 balls.
The latest milestone adds another achievement to Kohli’s remarkable ODI career.
