Joe Root Sets New Milestone By Reaching 23,000 International Runs at Record Pace

Joe Root added another major milestone to his career during England’s first ODI against Sri Lanka in Durham. The England batter reached 23,000 international runs at an impressive pace, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar to become the second-fastest player to reach the mark.

Root completed the feat in his 521st innings, moving ahead of Sachin Tendulkar, who needed 522 innings to get there. Virat Kohli still holds the record for reaching 23,000 international runs in the fewest innings, having done so in 490.

Root needed only three runs to reach the 23,000-run mark and got there by hitting a boundary. At 35, he became the eighth batter in cricket history to reach the milestone and the first player from England to do so.

Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid are the other Indian batters on the list. Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, along with Australia’s Ricky Ponting and South Africa’s Jacques Kallis, have also crossed 23,000 international runs during their respective careers.

Meanwhile, there are several Test records where Joe Root has already gone past Tendulkar. The England batter recently added another one to that list by moving ahead of the former India star for the most half-centuries in Test cricket.

The biggest milestone still ahead of Root is Tendulkar’s Test run record. With 14,278 runs to his name, Root needs another 1,643 to reach the 15,921 scored by Tendulkar.

Root will turn 36 in December and continues to play a major role for England. He has also made 169 Test appearances so far, meaning he needs 31 more matches to equal Tendulkar’s record of 200 Tests.

Meanwhile, Root’s record in limited-overs cricket is another part of his career that deserves attention. Although his Test achievements are more widely discussed, he has been even more productive on average in ODIs.

His numbers were already impressive before England faced Sri Lanka in Durham. Root had accumulated 7,826 runs in ODI cricket, with his average sitting above 51. He had also registered 20 centuries and held the distinction of being England’s highest run-scorer in the format.

Most Runs in International Cricket

• Sachin Tendulkar — 34,357 (782)
• Virat Kohli — 28,359 (629)
• Kumar Sangakkara — 28,016 (666)
• Ricky Ponting — 27,483 (668)
• Mahela Jayawardene — 25,957 (725)
• Jacques Kallis — 25,534 (617)
• Rahul Dravid — 24,208 (605)
• Joe Root — 23,041 (521)