Stats: Virat Kohli becomes fifth-fastest Indian to complete 8000 Test runs

Playing in his 100th Test for India, Star Indian batter, Virat Kohli, has achieved yet another record by becoming the fifth-fastest Indian batter to clock 8000 Test runs in terms of innings played. He achieved the feat in the ongoing first Test between India and Sri Lanka being played in Mohali. The list is led by one of India’s all-time greats, Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar got to the landmark in his 154th Test innings. Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, and Sunil Gavaskar take the second, third, and fourth spots with them achieving the record in 158, 160, and 166 innings respectively.

For Kohli, his 8000th Test run came in his 169th innings. India’s current Test number four has occupied the said position for the majority of his career so far having scored most of his runs batting at that slot. The former Indian captain also holds numerous other records in the game. He is often seen as one of the only few cricketers who can come close to if not break Tendulkar’s plethora of batting records.

Fastest Indian to 8000 Test runs:  

Virat Kohli’s next goal will be to score his 28th Test Century

The senior Indian batter has so far scored his Test runs at an average of just over 50. He has 27 centuries and seven double centuries to his name in the longest format of the game. The other names in the list have been monumental figures in Indian cricket themselves and boast of impressive Test averages. While Kohli is yet to finish his Test career, all the other names in the list have been long retired now.

Kohli, who is often regarded as one of the modern-day greats of the game would be delighted to have registered yet another record to his name. However, there has been a lot of chatter around his inability to have had scored an international century for India in over two years now.

Thus, If the 33-year-old can manage to score his 28th Test century in one of the two innings of his milestone Test, it would prove to be the perfect way for him to take the monkey off his shoulders.