New Delhi: In 2026, the Men in Blue is gearing for an exciting year, starting with T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to start from February to March in India and Sri Lanka.
However, all eyes will be on Virat Kohli. Having retired from Test and T20 International cricket, Kohli is now fully focused on ODIs. Early in the year, he stands on the verge of achieving a milestone that only two other batsmen in the world have reached, putting him close to becoming the third player to accomplish this feat.
Virat Kohli is all set to return on January 11
Former Indian captain Virat Kohli is all set to return to international cricket on January 11. While the Indian squad for New Zealnd series is not announced yet, it is widely expected that Kohli will be included. The series will consist of three matches, following which Kohli is likely to take an extended break from international cricket. Prior to the series, he is also expected to feature in a match during the Vijay Hazare Trophy against Railways.
Virat Kohli has scored a total of 27,975 runs in 556 international matches so far. He is also leading run-scorer across all three formats. Virat Kohli needs only 25 more runs to complete 28,000 runs. He will become the third player to reach 28,000 runs in international cricket.
Only two batsmen have reached this milestone before. Sachin Tendulkar tops the list with 34,357 runs in 664 international matches, far ahead of everyone else. The second on the list is former Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara, who scored 28,016 runs in 594 matches. If Kohli carries his impressive form, he could not only reach 28,000 runs during this three-match ODI series but might also surpass Sangakkara’s record.