Virat Kohli reached a big batting milestone during the third One-Day International (ODI) between India and Australia in Sydney on Saturday, October 25. The star Indian right-handed batter passed former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara to become the second-highest run-scorer in ODI cricket history. The 36-year-old run machine crossed Sangakkara’s all-time record by scoring his 54th run in his 293rd innings (305th ODI).

This achievement is remarkable as Kohli needed 87 fewer innings than Sangakkara to reach this career record. He achieved the significant milestone by taking a single off Australian spinner Cooper Connolly in the 32nd over of the match. Kohli is now only behind Sachin Tendulkar on the all-time ODI runs list.

Most Runs in ODI and International Cricket

ODI Runs:

1. Sachin Tendulkar – 18,426 runs in 452 innings
2. Kumar Sangakkara – 14,234 runs in 380 innings
3. Virat Kohli – 14,235* runs in 293 innings

Among these three, Kohli has the most centuries in ODIs with 51. Tendulkar is second with 49. While Kohli passed Sangakkara to become second in ODI runs, he is still behind him in total international runs.

Also Read -[WATCH] Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli reflect on their playing career in Australia after AUS vs IND 2025 series

International Runs:

• Tendulkar – 34,357 runs in 664 matches
• Sangakkara – 28,016 runs in 594 matches
• Kohli – 27,599* runs in 552 matches

Kohli and Rohit Dominate Australia

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma shared a 100-plus partnership to help India take the lead in the third ODI. Rohit scored his second consecutive half-century in the series. At the time of writing, India were 186/3 after 31.3 overs.

Batting first, Australia were all out for 236 in 46.4 overs. Matt Renshaw top-scored with 56 runs off 58 balls, while skipper Mitchell Marsh scored 41 off 50 balls. Travis Head, Alex Carey, and Cooper Connolly contributed in the 20s.

Harshit Rana starred with the ball for India, taking 4/39, while Washington Sundar took two wickets. Axar Patel, Prasidh Krishna, and Kuldeep Yadav took one wicket each.

The two teams will next play a five-match T20I series, starting in Canberra on October 29.

In a significant development, former Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara is all set to return as the head coach of the Rajasthan Royals ahead of the IPL 2026 season. In August this year, after the sudden departure of Rahul Dravid, the one-time Indian Premier League champion side was in search of a new coach.

Now, it is believed that RR is trusting a proven face in the club in the form of Kumar Sangakkara. According to media claims, the process of building an updated squad under the supervision of the Sri Lankan cricket legend has already been initiated. Unlike a huge reshuffle, this time the franchise can take the strategy to create a core with emerging and experienced cricketers.

Sangakkara is a familiar face in the franchise who has been working since 2021. Officially holding the post of Director of Cricket for the Rajasthan Royals, the former cricketer acted as head coach for most of his tenure with the franchise. Under his coaching and guidance, the team from Rajasthan enjoyed multiple promising IPL seasons. In IPL 2022, they came too close to winning the title but finished as the runner-up. Sangakkara led RR to the playoffs in two of four seasons.

Read More: IND vs WI 2025: Jasprit Bumrah available for both Tests, confirms Ajit Agarkar

Kumar Sangakkara back to return as Rajasthan Royals head coach 

The combination of Sangakkara and captain Sanju Samson helped the team to bolster their performance in a significant way. Rajasthan Royals appointed ICC T20I World Cup-winning coach Rahul Dravid on a multi-year deal, but his stint extended only for one season. In IPL 2025, RR managed just four wins in 14 matches and finished ninth on the points table.

According to a report published by ESPNcricinfo, "The biggest priority for Sangakkara will be sorting RR's captaincy after Samson asked the franchise to release him after the 2025 season. It is understood. Samson, 30, told the franchise that he wanted a change and hence to be released."

In the last few weeks, the reports have revealed strong news on the potential retention list of all ten franchises before the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). It was highlighted that the long-time captain of the Rajasthan Royals, Sanju Samson, would have made his flight to Chennai to feature for the Super Kings. But that seems unlikely now.

Sanju Samson, who has smashed an overall 4704 runs in 172 innings of the IPL at an average of 30.94 and a strike rate of 139.04 with three centuries and 26 half-centuries at the best score of 119 runs, is likely to stay with the franchise. The wicket-keeper opening batter has spent his time with the Royals since 2018 and has been one of the most important members of the side.

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Last season, he didn’t enjoy a great time on and off the field with 265 runs in nine innings at an average of 35.62 and a strike rate of 140.39 with one fifty at the best score of 66. When he was out of the side, Riyan Parag took the responsibility of leadership.

RR to extend Sanju Samson and Kumar Sangakkara’s contract for IPL 2026

Apart from that 2025 season, Samson, who retained his position in the Indian T20I side for the Asia Cup 2025, starting on September 09, has crossed the 300-run mark in every season for the 2008 champions. That’s the consistency Royals wanted. Along with him, RR’s head coach, Kumar Sangakkara, is also likely to get a contract extension for the franchise in 2026.

Many reports claimed that the former Sri Lanka captain was likely to leave the franchise with the Kolkata Knight Riders, and a few other sides were keeping an eye on that. But after Rahul Dravid decides to leave the side after 2025, that speculation can be erased.

Rajasthan had a tough time in 2025 as they failed to qualify for the playoffs of the tournament. They finished at the penultimate position of the points table with four wins and 10 defeats in 14 fixtures at a net run rate of -0.647. Both halves of the event were divided into two wins and five defeats during the IPL 2025.  

The world is about to experience a liftoff as preparations for the Asia Cup are underway in full swing. The epic rivalry between the Asian giants kicks off on September 9. Since this marquee tournament will be played in a T20 format, expectations of high scores and electrifying batting displays run rampant. Throughout the history of the Asia Cup, run-scoring has been aplenty, be it the T20 or ODI format. Legendary batting prodigies from India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan have gone on to script historic knocks that are still etched into the memories of die-hard fans to this day. 

Yet, when we look at the top five run-getters list of all time, only batters from India and Sri Lanka make the cut. Read on as we showcase the top five batters in the Asia Cup history to score the most runs. 

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Sanath Jayasuriya (ODI - 1220, T20I - N/A)

Jayasuriya was responsible for inflicting an unprecedented reign of terror, especially on the Indian bowlers. When in form, the Sri Lankan batting all-rounder would spare no one. To this day, he remains the highest run scorer in the history of the Asia Cup. Despite not playing long enough to feature in the T20 version of the Asia Cup, Jayasuriya's run tally still surpasses the contemporary greats like Kohli and Rohit. In 25 games, Jayasuriya amassed 1220 runs at a stunning average of 53 and managed six centuries and three half-centuries. With a strike rate of 102.2, Jayasuriya was a sheer menace with the willow. His best knock in the Asia Cup came against Bangladesh in 2008. In a winning cause, the all-rounder slammed a rapid 130 (88) to power Sri Lanka to an imposing 332-8. He partnered with Sangakkara at the top of the order to register a crushing 201-run opening stand, which virtually took the game away from Bangladesh well inside the first innings. 

Rohit Sharma (ODI - 939, T20I - 271)

The former Indian skipper marginally edges behind Jayasuriya with a tally of 1210. Rohit Sharma, who made his Asia Cup debut in 2008, took his own merry time to establish a foothold on the big stage. But when he did, there was no looking back. From 2013 onwards, Rohit rose to prominence and evolved into one of the most destructive openers in modern-day cricket. Unlike Jayasuriya, Rohit has been a part of the T20 versions of the Asia Cup that were played in 2016 & 2022. In the T20I version, Rohit has scored 271, which includes some match-winning cameos. However, the bulk of his Asia Cup runs came in the ODI format. Across 23 innings, Rohit plundered 939 runs at a remarkable average of 48.86, with one century and nine half-centuries to his name. His only century, which also happens to be his best Asia Cup knock, came against the arch-rivals Pakistan in 2018. Rohit and Shikhar Dhawan proved way too good for Pakistan as the duo registered a dominant 210-run stand for the opening wicket to roll over the Green Shirts shambolically by nine wickets. Rohit stayed unbeaten on 111* to steer India home with ease. With a fair bit of cricket still left in him, Rohit will be eyeing to go past Jayasuriya's record to become the highest run scorer in the history of the Asia Cup. 

Virat Kohli (ODI - 742, T20I - 429)

The chase master's heightened appetite for runs earns him a well-deserved third spot in this coveted list. Virat Kohli is the highest run-scorer in the T20I format with 429 runs to his name. The most iconic moment of his Asia Cup career came in the T20I format in 2022, when he ended a three-year-long century drought by silencing his critics with a match-winning century against Afghanistan. As for his record in the ODI format, Virat's numbers are equally impressive as his numbers from the shortest format. In 13 ODI innings, Virat has managed to maintain a jaw-dropping average of close to 62 and has registered a tally of 742 runs, which includes four breathtaking centuries. His best Asia Cup knock, which also happens to be his career-best ODI knock, came against Pakistan in the 2012 edition. Virat walked out to bat in a tricky situation, with India already two down for less than 10 runs on the board. But what followed was something way beyond everyone's comprehension. At a time when the momentum rested in favor of Pakistan, Virat's counter-attacking century changed the entire dynamics of the run chase.  With world-class bowlers like Ajmal, Wahab, and Hafeez to contend with, Virat went about his business and fought fire with fire to get India over the line on the back of his swashbuckling 183. 

Kumar Sangakkara (ODI - 1075, T20I - N/A)

The Sri Lankan batting genius comes fourth in the list with 1075 runs in 23 innings. But if we keep the T20I record aside, Sangakkara emerges as the second-best run scorer in the history of the Asia Cup. Although Sangakkara never got a chance to feature in the T20 edition of the Asia Cup, the tailsmatic wicketkeeper-batter unleashed enough carnage to establish himself as a force to reckon with in the ODI format. In 23 ODI innings, Sangakkara scored well above 1000 runs and maintained a healthy average of 48.86. Moreover, he also produced four tons and eight half-century scores, most of which had come in a winning cause. His highest score of 121 in the Asia Cup was achieved against Bangladesh during the 2008 Asia Cup edition in Pakistan. 

Sachin Tendulkar (ODI - 971, T20I - N/A)

When we talk about run scoring, no list is complete without the mention of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. Being the highest all-time run getter in ODI and Test formats combined, to see his name appear at the fag end of the list is a tad bit surprising. From a period spanning from 1990 to 2012, Tendulkar featured across 21 ODI innings and amassed 971 runs at an impressive average of 51.10. In his extensive Asia Cup journey, Tendulkar witnessed moments of highs and lows. However, unlike his batting rivals, the little master could only manage two centuries. Nevertheless, he managed to complete seven half-century scores and maintained a healthy strike rate of nearly 85. His best Asia Cup knock, which could arguably be the most magical moment of his life, was against Bangladesh when he racked up a brilliant 114 to bring up his 100th international ton, a feat that is almost impossible to break in the contemporary era. 

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the three-time champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL), are reportedly in talks with Kumar Sangakkara for a mentorship role ahead of the IPL 2026 season. KKR won the 2024 season by defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final. That was also the year Gautam Gambhir, a former two-time IPL-winning KKR captain, rejoined the team as a mentor.

Sangakkara in Talks with KKR

Sources told The Telegraph that Kumar Sangakkara, who has been the director of cricket at Rajasthan Royals since 2021, has decided to leave the franchise. India’s T20 World Cup-winning head coach Rahul Dravid is set to return to the Royals ahead of the 2026 season, and former India batting coach Vikram Rathour may also join him.

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KKR already have Chandrakant Pandit as head coach, Bharat Arun as bowling coach, Abhishek Nayar as assistant coach, and Ryan ten Doeschate as fielding coach in Gautam Gambhir’s support staff. Reports say KKR are in advanced talks with Sangakkara, though he is also considering offers from other franchises. A final decision is expected soon.

🚨| It's been heard that Kumar Sangakkara has shown interest in joining KKR’s support staff.

~ Rohit Juglan pic.twitter.com/s5yRILMyY0

— Rokte Amar KKR (@Rokte_Amarr_KKR) August 13, 2025

Sanju Samson Trade Talks

The BCCI is likely to announce the terms of retention for franchises this month, starting the process for the mega auction. Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson is on KKR’s radar. Reports say KKR are open to a player trade with RR — something CSK refused when asked for Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, or Shivam Dube in exchange. KKR are reportedly willing to offer young talents like Angkrish Raghuvanshi or Ramandeep Singh to secure Samson.

Joe Root once again showcased why he is regarded as one of the finest Test batters of the modern era. On Day 3 of the fourth Test against India at Old Trafford, the seasoned England batter delivered a masterclass with the bat, scoring a brilliant 150 off 248 deliveries. His calm and resolute knock, which included 14 fours, came at an important stage and took advantage of the excellent batting conditions and India's disappointing bowling display.

Root's innings drew a standing ovation from the whole stadium, including his teammates and many of the support staff, as he showed great leadership in England's strong reply. After India had posted 358 runs in their first innings, England finished at 544/7 at the end of day 3 to lead by 186 runs. Root's hundred had been a rock to England's innings and put them in a strong position going into the heart of Day 4 of the Test Match. Let us look at some of the records he broke during his marathon innings; 

5. Fourth most Test hundreds

Joe Root scored his 38th Test century, equaling Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara on the list of most centuries in the format. Root now stands joint-fourth in the all-time rankings, a remarkable achievement for the England star.

See Also: ENG vs IND 4th Test Day 3: Highlights and Scoreboard

Sangakkara took 134 matches and 233 innings for his 38 tons, while Root reached the milestone in 157 matches and 286 innings. Only Ricky Ponting (41), Jacques Kallis (45), and Sachin Tendulkar (51) have more Test hundreds than Root.

4. Joint most hundreds in home Tests

Joe Root has now scored 23 of his 38 Test centuries in England, joining an elite group of players with the most hundreds at home. His latest ton places him among the greatest in home conditions.

Root shares this record with Ricky Ponting (Australia), Jacques Kallis (South Africa), and Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka), each of whom also notched 23 Test centuries on their home soil.

3. Most Test hundreds against an opponent at home

Joe Root has hit nine Test centuries against India in England and has now set a new record for the most hundreds by any batter against a single opponent in home Tests, passing the iconic Sir Don Bradman who had eight hundreds against England in Australia. 

Root now has 12 Test hundreds against India overall, overtaking Steve Smith for the record against India. Only Sunil Gavaskar (13 vs West Indies) and Don Bradman (19 vs England) have more Test hundreds against a single opponent in the history of Test cricket.

2. First batter with 1000-plus Test runs at Manchester

Joe Root became the first batter to crack over 1000 Test runs at Old Trafford, Manchester. He now has a tally of 1128 runs from 12 Tests and 20 innings at the venue, with an average of 70.50, which includes two hundreds and seven fifties, creating an exceptional record at this historic venue. 

Furthermore, Root joined an exclusive list by becoming only the third England batter to accumulate 1000-plus Test runs at two different grounds. He has also joined the 1000-plus run club at Lord's, a tribute to his consistency and dominance on home soil the traditional English cricket venues.

1. Joe Root is the second-highest run-getter in Tests

Joe Root has surpassed Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting to become the second all-time leading run scorer in Test cricket history. Kallis hit 13,289 runs, while Ponting scored 13,378 runs in their careers.

Root now has 13,409 runs from 157 Tests and 286 innings, and sits at second, behind only Sachin Tendulkar, who is first with 15,921 runs via 200 Tests and 329 innings.

The Director of Cricket of the Rajasthan Royals, Kumar Sangakkara, has recalled his first meeting with the young opening batter, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, from the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. The former left-handed batter of Sri Lanka revealed how he met the Bihar batter for the very first time.

The 14-year-old RR batter came into the playing eleven of the side when their captain, Sanju Samson, was ruled out of the competition. The southpaw smashed 265 runs in eight innings at an average of 33.12 and a strike rate of more than 200, thanks to one fifty and one century in the IPL 2025, with his best score of 101 runs against the Gujarat Titans (GT).

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‘Well, Vaibhav Suryavanshi has already shown himself to be a very special talent. In 2023, one of the Rajasthan Royals’ analyst sent through a text saying, there is a very special player we need to watch, get to trials and look to sign, and the first time I saw him live was after we had signed him apart from some of the videos of him batting was in the nets in Guwahati.’ Sangakkara expressed during a recent interaction on Sky Sports Cricket.

Watch: Kumar Sangakkara recalls Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s first meeting during IPL 2025

‘(He was) batting against Jofra Archer and some of the other pacers, and he made it look very easy. He had a lot of time, and the sound off the bat was like a gunshot. At every single time, he contracted the ball, his bat swing was lovely. It’s nice and wide outside the off-stump, and it’s very free-flowing. He has got a lot of time.’ Sangakkara explained.

'The rise of Vaibhav' 🌟 Rajasthan Royals Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakkara on his first encounter with the rising star 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/uFPATITFTQ

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 20, 2025

‘His movements are very simple and minimal, and he is very enthusiastic about developing his shot repertoire. And he has all the shots that you can want in a T20 batter. This was just the start of him, and he will become even better and hopefully very special.’ The veteran added about Suryavanshi, who has now been fast-tracked to the India U-19 side for the unofficial Test against England.

If Samson stays with the franchise for the next season and bats at number three, then the Royals can take advantage by using Jaiswal and Suryavanshi at the opening position.

Rishabh Pant has won over the hearts of many with his selflessness on the field. Many had expected him to take it easy after recovering from a road accident. But he proved everyone wrong that he is willing to play for the team. he proved his aggressive batting. Former Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara appreciated Pant's decision. He tweeted: "It would have been easy for Rishabh to come out later & rest but decided to bat for his side."

Sangakkara's statement indicates that Pant could have opted for the easy route. He could have arrived to bat a little later and take more time to heal. But he decided to rise up when the team required him. England's previous captain Nasser Hussain also commented on Pant. He stated: "He is a team man, small things matter for a team."

COMMENTARY ON RISHABH PANT 📢

Kumar Sangakkara said "It would have been easy for Rishabh to come out later & rest but decided to bat for his side".

Nasser Hussain said "He is a team man, small things matter for a team". pic.twitter.com/FGBxGynhZw

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 11, 2025

Hussain was trying to say that these little decisions reflect what type of individual Pant is. Although it may not appear big to others, batting early is a lot to the team. It demonstrates courage and concern for teammates.

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Pant's return after his accident is not only about scoring runs. It is about demonstrating heart, courage, and love for the team. He toiled for months to regain fitness. Through prioritizing the team, he demonstrated that he is not only a good player but also a team player. Supporters and ex-players admire him even more today. Because cricket is not simply hitting sixes or getting wickets it is also about standing tall for your team when it really counts.

Legendary Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara has expressed strong criticism over India’s decision to rest star pacer Jasprit Bumrah for the second Test against England. Despite earlier announcements that Bumrah wouldn’t be playing all five matches of the series, many experts and fans believed his inclusion in the second Test was crucial—especially after India’s defeat in the series opener. Sangakkara, speaking on Sky Sports, was visibly surprised and questioned the logic behind the decision.

"Interesting to understand how the decision is being made and who makes it.? Is it after a consultation with the players or the physios? It depends on whether the Lord's Test is more important than the series. The series is on the line," he said. According to Sangakkara, with India under pressure after losing the first match, this was the time when someone like Bumrah was needed to give the team a push.

"If we see the score, it's an even day, perhaps a little bit more tilted towards England with the five wickets down. So I would have expected the coach to have gone to Bumrah and said, 'Yes, we thought you might play the 3rd and the 5th Test, but we're going 1 and 2. Take a look if you can play the third; if you can, because then you've got two weeks off before the next one," he added, suggesting India should have adapted based on the situation.

Sangakkara Also Questions Omission of Kuldeep, Points to Recent Test Struggles

Sangakkara also touched upon the exclusion of spinner Kuldeep Yadav, which didn’t sit well with fans or pundits. He felt the decision-making reflected a reactive approach and was influenced by India’s recent poor run in Test matches.

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“It’s not just a reaction to the last Test. I think there is a bit of chat about the last 9–10. Seven losses, one win, and one draw. There is a little bit of baggage as well to turn that pattern around. So there was a lot of pressure, and they were looking at this game and thinking, ‘alright, what can we do?’ and they rang in all the changes," Sangakkara said, pointing to the team’s recent record and the weight it carries into current selections.

Kumar Sangakkara and Virat Kohli are two huge names in international cricket. Having been the stalwarts of their respective nations in every game format in their playing days, they have left an indelible mark on the current and future generations. Both have been outstanding, prolific, and a cut above the rest. Their elegance was unmatchable, and the world was awestruck when the ball hit the sweet spot of their bats and raced towards the boundary. Their competitive nature added an extra bit of spice to the India-Sri Lanka encounters, and their camaraderie off the pitch was worth every bit of appreciation. Their batting prowess, coupled with immaculate leadership skills, elevated them to a legendary status. Records and statistics are genuine proof of that. 

Kumar bid adieu to Test Cricket on August 24, 2015. His last match in the longest format of the game was against India in Colombo as part of a two-match series. He was given a fitting guard of honour by the Indian side, and the entire moment was very emotional for him. His family was beside him on that occasion, and the whole of Sri Lanka and the cricketing world were proud to have seen a player of his calibre grace the field for as long as he did. This brought curtains to an illustrious international career and one that will inspire the next crop of budding cricketers for a very long time. 

Kohli, on the other hand, just recently announced his test retirement, leaving millions of cricket fans across the globe surprised. The news caught everyone off guard and was highly unexpected. The Indian veteran always loved to don the whites and was nothing short of an ambassador for the purest format of the game, even in the current T20 era. His passion, seriousness, and intrusive playing style made test cricket attractive again, and hence worth loving by fans of all ages. Under him, India excelled extremely well and made a name for itself on foreign soil. Virat has been a part of the cricket's 'Fab-4' for a long period. And his test records, including the number of tons and double tons he scored, made him arguably one of the greats in the five-day format.  

See Also: List of all Virat Kohli centuries in Test cricket

Curiosity arises among fans as to who has been a better red-ball player for their nation and between themselves. Virat or Kumar? A deeper dive into their test cricket statistics may help one answer that question. An interesting thing here would be their performances in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) countries, and that shall conclude and reveal the better batter. 

Virat Kohli vs Kumar Sangakkara in SENA countries

The Sri Lankan wicket-keeper batter and the Indian batting great have played a similar number of matches. The stark difference is in the runs they scored overall. The former leads the latter by around 3000 runs. Sanga's average is also better than Virat's, above the golden 50 mark and nearing 60. The Indian could accumulate 30 hundreds in his flamboyant career, eight less than Kumar's tally.  

Virat Kohli has scored more test centuries (19) in SENA countries than in India. In 84 innings, he scored 3,591 runs with an average of 43, making him the 3rd Asian batter with the most test runs there. For Sri Lanka, Kumar Sangakkara is the highest run scorer in the SENA countries. In 59 test innings, he scored 2,526 runs with an average of 45, amassing 11 centuries as well. While Virat might have struck more runs and centuries on foreign soil in a greater number of innings, his average is yet just a tad less than that of Sanga's. 

The left-handed Lankan batter retired ten years before the right-handed Indian talisman. The statistics give a slight edge to the former, but no one can deny the evergreen presence of both players on their respective sides. Sanga mostly played in an era when T20 cricket was still setting foot on the stage, while Virat excelled in a time when the game became fast-paced and less patient. Both have been great servants for their nation, and the game desperately needs more legends and icons like them.