Virat Kohli surpasses Sachin Tendulkar as top run-scorer while batting second in ODIs

Virat Kohli surpassed Sachin Tendulkar to become the highest run-scorer when batting second in One-Day internationals during India's first ODI against New Zealand on Wednesday. Kohli scored 74 as India chased down the target, helping the visitors to a five-wicket victory.

Kohli's total in ODI run chases moved to 8,741, overtaking Tendulkar's 8,720. He reached that aggregate in 169 innings across 180 matches, while Tendulkar accumulated his 8,720 in 232 innings over 242 matches. Kohli's average in those situations is 66.21 compared with Tendulkar's 42.33, and his strike rate when batting second stands at 95.03 versus Tendulkar's 88.44. While batting second Kohli has recorded 30 centuries and 46 half-centuries; Tendulkar had 17 hundreds and 52 fifties.

The match was rain-hit and India were given a revised target of 143 in 32 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method. Kohli and captain Shubman Gill put together a second-wicket partnership of 113, with Gill making 37. Kohli's 74 included his 80th ODI half-century and arrived a day before his 38th birthday.

India completed the chase at 143 for five in 22.4 overs, overcoming a late wobble to close out the game. Earlier in the contest New Zealand were dismissed for 185 in 40.2 overs as India's pace unit exploited overcast conditions. Arshdeep Singh led the attack with four wickets for 70 runs, Gurnoor Brar claimed three for 44 and Anshul Kamboj took two for 22.

Tim Seifert was New Zealand's top-scorer with 38 and Glenn Phillips made 30. A late counter-attack from Blair Tickner included four sixes in a 23-ball 34 but was not enough to push the hosts past 200.

The numbers underline the consistency that has defined Kohli's career when chasing, and the milestone adds another record to his ODI resume. The innings was described in the report as more than a match-winning contribution because it carried him past Tendulkar in this statistical category.

The victory gave the visitors an early lead in the five-match series.