Vizag Witnesses Another Rohit Sharma Landmark
Rohit Sharma completes 20,000 international runs during the series decider against South Africa.
Visakhapatnam witnessed a familiar scene on Saturday - India in a series decider, South Africa in opposition, and Rohit Sharma chasing a silent milestone. When he guided his 27th run during the pursuit of 271, the board lit up: Rohit Sharma had reached 20,000 international runs, another mark for India’s calmest finisher.
This milestone is the result of 18 years of hard work at the top level. And fittingly, it arrived not in a dead rubber, but during a pressure-filled chase with a trophy at stake in Vizag.
Where Rohit Sharma currently ranks among India’s all-time cricket legends
Rohit Sharma has become only the fourth Indian - and the 14th player in world cricket - to cross 20,000 international runs. The names around him are exactly what you’d expect for a batter of his class and consistency.
Player Name - International Runs
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Sachin Tendulkar: 34,357
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Virat Kohli: 27,975*
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Rahul Dravid: 24,064
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Rohit Sharma: 20,048
Sourav Ganguly: 18433
For Rohit, the 20,000 international runs are spread across all three formats, with almost 11,500 coming in ODIs - a format where he stands as India’s third-highest run-scorer with 33 centuries.
In terms of sheer volume, he reached the milestone in 538 innings, scoring at an average of over 42, with 50 centuries and 111 fifty-plus scores in international cricket.
Eighteen Years of Hard-Earned Greatness
What makes this milestone feel even more significant is that it comes in the twilight phase of his career - a career that has already reinvented itself twice. Rohit may have stepped away from Tests and T20Is, but he continues to be one of India’s pillars, and increasingly, their nostalgia generator - the batter who brings back memories of the 2013 Champions Trophy, the 2019 World Cup run, the 2024 T20 World Cup triumph, and now this late-career flood of milestones.
He also stands on another remarkable peak: over 500 international appearances, a feat achieved by only five Indians, and the title of the game’s most prolific six-hitter.
In Vizag, though, one part of that legacy was on full display. Rohit and Yashasvi Jaiswal settled into the chase with ease, the series hanging in the balance, while the senior opener quietly checked off another milestone that most players can only imagine. The numbers will keep changing, the debates about greatness will return, but one fact is now etched forever: Rohit Sharma, 20,000-plus international runs, and still going.
