So far, only three batters have scored over 14,000 runs in ODI cricket. With the rise of T20 cricket and the thrill of the World Test Championship (WTC), ODI cricket often takes a backseat and doesn’t receive much attention these days. It usually becomes a major topic of conversation only when a World Cup is approaching, even though the ODI World Cup still holds greater value for most players compared to the T20 World Cup or the WTC title.
There have been exceptional ODI batters, and then there have been the GOATs. The distinction between these two categories can be drawn by the number of batters who have surpassed the 14,000-run mark in ODI cricket.
Here are the top three batsmen to reach 14,000 runs the fastest in ODI cricket:
3. Kumar Sangakkara – 378 innings
The legendary Sri Lankan left-hander Kumar Sangakkara is the first Sri Lankan and the second player overall to surpass the 14,000-run mark in ODI cricket. He reached this milestone in his 378th ODI innings during the 2015 World Cup.
Sangakkara played 404 ODIs, amassing 14,234 runs at an average of 41.98. He scored 25 centuries and 93 half-centuries in his ODI career, which spanned from 2000 to 2015.
2. Sachin Tendulkar – 350 innings
The batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar is the leading run-scorer in ODI cricket history. He concluded his illustrious career with 18,426 runs in 463 matches, averaging 44. Tendulkar notched 49 centuries in ODIs.
Tendulkar, who made his ODI debut in 1989, crossed the 14,000-run mark in his 350th ODI innings, which came in 2006 against Pakistan in Peshawar. He was the first batsman to achieve this feat.
1. Virat Kohli – 287 innings
Regarded as arguably the greatest ODI batsman of all time, Virat Kohli is the fastest to 14,000 ODI runs, reaching the milestone in just 287 innings—63 innings quicker than Tendulkar.
Kohli achieved this feat against Pakistan during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 match.
He is currently the third-leading run-scorer in ODIs, with an average of 57—significantly higher than both Sangakkara and Tendulkar’s averages—and holds the record for the most ODI centuries by any batsman, with 50 to his name.