NZ W vs RSA W: Kiwi batter Suzie Bates breaks Virat Kohli's record for most runs in T20 Internationals

In a match against South Africa Women on Sunday, New Zealand Women's star batter, Suzie Bates etched her name in the record books, breaking a record that the legendary Virat Kohli held. 

Bates, with her innings of 45 runs off 38 balls, including one six and five boundaries against Proteas Women, surpassed Kohli's record for the most runs in T20 Internationals. Despite her good performance, her efforts were in vain as South Africa Women emerged victorious by 11 runs.

Suzie Bates now stands atop the T20I run charts, boasting an impressive 4021 runs in 149 T20Is at an average of 29.78. Her consistency is evident with 26 half-centuries and one century to her name. Meanwhile, Kohli, who played his last T20I during the previous T20 World Cup, accumulated 4008 runs during his international T20 career.

The achievement did not go unnoticed as the White Ferns took to social media to share their excitement. They tweeted, “History made! Suzie Bates became the first woman to reach 4000 T20I career runs today in Benoni🏏 Suzie is now the leading T20I run scorer in the world, surpassing previous record holder Virat Kohli (4008*)”

History made! Suzie Bates became the first woman to reach 4000 T20I career runs today in Benoni🏏 Suzie is now the leading T20I run scorer in the world, surpassing previous record holder Virat Kohli (4008*) 🌏 #SAvNZ #CricketNation pic.twitter.com/SjqcBNRQmS

— WHITE FERNS (@WHITE_FERNS) October 15, 2023

In the world of Women's cricket, Australia's captain Meg Lanning follows closely as the second-highest run-scorer in T20Is, with 3405 runs in 132 matches, boasting an average of 36.61. Her tally includes 15 fifties and two centuries. India Women's captain Harmanpreet Kaur is the leading run-scorer for the Indian side, amassing 3154 runs in 155 games at an average of 28.16, including one century and 11 fifties.

While Suzie Bates celebrates her historic milestone, cricket enthusiasts are keeping a close eye on Virat Kohli's ongoing journey in the 2023 World Cup. Kohli, the right-handed batter, is on the verge of breaking two significant records. 

He needs just three centuries to surpass the legendary Sachin Tendulkar's record of 49 hundred in ODIs. In the current World Cup, Kohli has scored 156 runs in three matches, including match-winning half-centuries against Australia (85) and Afghanistan (55*). He's a mere 35 runs away from surpassing former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardena's record for the fourth-highest runs in international cricket.

However, Kohli remains behind the top three all-time greats: Ricky Ponting (27483), Kumar Sangakkara (28016), and Tendulkar (34357). So far, the Delhi-born cricketer has amassed 25923 runs in 510 matches.

Kohli is set to grace the field once more, facing Bangladesh in the 2023 World Cup match at the MCA Stadium in Pune on October 19.