Champions Trophy 2025: Virat Kohli Becomes Only 2nd Cricketer to Reach 8000 Runs in ODI Chases

Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli etched his name further into the cricketing record books during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final against Australia. Kohli became only the second batter in ODI history to reach 8000 runs in run-chases, joining the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.

Kohli reached the milestone when he touched 21 runs while chasing Australia’s target of 265. The 36-year-old reached this landmark in just his 159th innings while batting second in ODIs across his illustrious 301-match career.

Virat Kohli 8000 runs ODI chase Champions Trophy 2025 — Photo: PTI

Elite Club of ODI Chase Run-Scorers

Kohli is now only behind Sachin Tendulkar, who leads the all-time list with 8720 runs in 232 innings. India’s current skipper, Rohit Sharma, is the third-highest in this category with 6115 runs.

Rank	Player	Runs in Chases	Innings
1	Sachin Tendulkar	8720	232
2	Virat Kohli	8000*	159
3	Rohit Sharma	6115	--

Also read: IND vs AUS: Virat Kohli Becomes India’s Catching King – Surpasses Rahul Dravid’s Record in International Cricket

Kohli has been a chase specialist, with 28 of his 51 ODI centuries coming while batting second. His conversion rate in chases is unmatched, as he stands far ahead of Tendulkar’s 17 centuries and Rohit’s 16.

Notably, over 70% of Kohli’s runs in chases (5913*) have contributed to Indian victories, the highest for any batter in ODI history. One of his most memorable performances came in Jaipur in 2013, where he smashed a 52-ball century in India’s record chase of 362/1 against Australia.

In addition to reaching the 8000-run landmark, Kohli surpassed Shikhar Dhawan (701 runs) as India’s highest run-scorer in Champions Trophy history. He became only the fourth batter to cross 700 runs in the tournament, joining Chris Gayle (791) and Mahela Jayawardena (742) at the top.

Earlier in the tournament, Kohli had notched up his 51st ODI ton against Pakistan while also becoming the fastest player to reach 14,000 ODI runs.

India’s Path to the Final

To secure a spot in their third consecutive Champions Trophy final, India must equal their highest successful run chase in tournament history—265 runs. With Kohli at the crease, the Men in Blue will be hoping to inch closer to yet another ICC trophy.