Kohli hits ton in Vijay Hazare Trophy, goes past Tendulkar's List A record

Virat Kohli breaks Sachin Tendulkar's List A record, becoming the fastest to 16,000 runs during the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Virat Kohli added another landmark to his glittering career on Wednesday, overtaking Sachin Tendulkar to become the fastest batter to reach 16,000 runs in List A cricket. The milestone came during Delhi’s opening match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy against Andhra Pradesh at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, underlining Kohli’s enduring consistency across formats and levels of the game.

 

Kohli reached the mark in his 330th List A innings, 61 fewer than Tendulkar, who had taken 391 innings to achieve the feat. With this, the former India captain further cemented his status as one of the most prolific run-scorers in the history of one-day cricket, extending his dominance beyond the international arena into domestic competitions.

 

The 37-year-old also holds a unique record of being the fastest to every block of 1,000 List A runs from 10,000 onwards, highlighting a sustained peak that has stretched across more than a decade and a half. While Kohli’s achievements in ODIs and Tests are well documented, this latest record brings fresh attention to his impact in domestic one-day cricket, a space traditionally dominated by Tendulkar’s towering numbers.

 

Kohli’s return to the Vijay Hazare Trophy itself carried a sense of occasion. He is featuring in India’s premier domestic one-day competition after a gap of 15 years, as part of the BCCI’s renewed emphasis on senior international players remaining engaged with the domestic circuit. The move is also seen as vital match practice ahead of India’s upcoming home ODI series against New Zealand, scheduled to begin on January 11.

 

Despite the long absence, Kohli’s record in the Vijay Hazare Trophy remains exceptional. In 13 matches in the tournament, he has scored 819 runs at an average of 68.25 and a strike rate of 106, with four centuries and three half-centuries. His overall List A numbers are even more imposing: 15,999 runs from 329 innings at an average of 57.34, with 57 hundreds and 84 fifties, figures that place him firmly among the greatest exponents of the format.

 

The match itself also provided a competitive backdrop to Kohli’s milestone. Delhi captain Rishabh Pant won the toss and chose to field, a decision that allowed Andhra Pradesh to set the tone with the bat. Ricky Bhui starred for Andhra with a commanding 122 off 105 balls, steering his side to a challenging total of 298 for eight. For Delhi, pacer Simarjeet Singh stood out with a five-wicket haul, finishing with impressive figures of five for 54 from his 10 overs.

 

Kohli’s latest record inevitably invites comparisons with Tendulkar, whose List A career remains the most prolific in history. Tendulkar amassed 21,999 runs from 538 innings at an average of 45.54, alongside 60 centuries and 114 fifties. He also leads Kohli in several aggregate records, including total List A runs and matches played, reflecting the sheer longevity of his career across domestic and international cricket.

 

However, Kohli’s trajectory suggests that more of Tendulkar’s records could come under threat, particularly in terms of speed and consistency. With 57 List A centuries already, Kohli is steadily closing in on Tendulkar’s tally of 60, while his superior average points to a different, more aggressive era of one-day batting.

 

The milestone also comes at a time when Kohli’s form remains strong at the international level. In his last four ODI innings, he has registered four successive fifty-plus scores, including back-to-back centuries against South Africa and an unbeaten 65 in the series decider that secured a 2-1 victory for India. Over the past year, he has scored 651 runs in 13 international innings at an average of 65.10, with three hundreds and four fifties at a strike rate exceeding 96.

 

Having retired from Test and T20 International cricket, Kohli’s focus is now firmly on the 50-over format, where his hunger for runs and records shows no sign of fading. His latest achievement in domestic cricket not only adds another chapter to his rivalry with Tendulkar’s numbers but also reinforces his relevance and influence as India prepare for another crucial phase in their ODI calendar.