Virat Kohli Becomes First Batter to Reach 13,000 ODI Runs at Number Three

Kohli needed 12 runs at Eden Park and took them off his first 13 balls, moving to 13,017 runs at No. 3 in one-day internationals, clear of Ricky Ponting in second place.

By Orbit PostNovember 4, 2026 · 9:43 UTC2 min read

Virat Kohli Becomes First Batter to Reach 13,000 ODI Runs at Number Three

Key points

Virat Kohli has become the first batter in one-day international history to reach 13,000 runs while batting at No. 3.
By the time rain stopped the chase, Kohli was unbeaten on 29, and that innings had moved him to 13,017 runs at No. 3 from 251 matches, at an average of 61.69, with 48 hundreds and 69 fifties at…
New Zealand were bowled out for 185 in 40.2 overs after India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and chose to field.

Virat Kohli has become the first batter in one-day international history to reach 13,000 runs while batting at No. 3. The record fell during the first ODI between India and New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. Kohli came into the match with 12,988 runs at the position and needed 12 more. He reached the landmark with his 12th run, off the 13th ball he faced, in the seventh over of India's chase of 186.

By the time rain stopped the chase, Kohli was unbeaten on 29, and that innings had moved him to 13,017 runs at No. 3 from 251 matches, at an average of 61.69, with 48 hundreds and 69 fifties at the position, according to Sportskeeda figures. No one else is close. Ricky Ponting is second on the all-time ODI list at No. 3 with 12,662 runs in 330 innings at an average of about 42.5. Kohli and Ponting are the only two batters to pass 10,000 ODI runs at No. 3.

The match around the record

New Zealand were bowled out for 185 in 40.2 overs after India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and chose to field. Arshdeep Singh took four wickets, Gurnoor Brar took three, and Anshul Kamboj returned 2 for 22 in 10 overs. Tim Seifert top-scored for New Zealand with 38, and Blair Tickner made 34 off 23 balls.

Kohli also shaped the innings in the field. He took a diving low catch at second slip to dismiss Nathan Smith for 1 off Kamboj in the 29th over, when New Zealand were 115 for 7.

Rain stops the chase, with the match still live

Rain interrupted India's chase with India at 54 for 1 in 10.5 overs and Kohli unbeaten on 29 off 27 balls, with five boundaries. A revised target of 167 in 40 overs was reported for the resumption. The match was still in progress when these reports were filed, and this article records the milestone only. It does not state a result, because there was no confirmed result to state.

A birthday at Eden Park

Kohli turns 38 on Thursday, November 5, 2026. The Auckland crowd sang happy birthday to him during the match, a day early, and he acknowledged them. The record gives him a fresh mark of his own at the position he has held for India for most of his career: first to 13,000 runs at No. 3, with an average above 61 and 48 hundreds from that spot in the order.

Timeline

Nov 4, 2026New Zealand were bowled out for 185 in 40.2 overs at Eden Park after Shubman Gill won the toss and fielded. Arshdeep Singh took four wickets, Gurnoor Brar three and Anshul Kamboj 2 for 22.
Nov 4, 2026Kohli, who came in needing 12 runs, reached 13,000 ODI runs at No. 3 with his 12th run off the 13th ball he faced, in the seventh over of India's chase of 186. He is the first batter to reach that mark at the position.
Nov 4, 2026Rain stopped the chase at 54 for 1 in 10.5 overs, with Kohli unbeaten on 29 off 27 balls. A revised target of 167 in 40 overs was reported for the resumption, with the match still in progress and no result confirmed.
Nov 5, 2026Kohli turns 38. The Eden Park crowd sang happy birthday to him during the match, a day early, and he acknowledged them.