Ranking the 6 Indians to reach 10,000 ODI runs by innings taken ft. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma 

Rohit Sharma completed a signing milestone in the ongoing Asia Cup 2023 Super Four clash between India and Sri Lanka in Colombo on Tuesday. The Indian captain, who scored his second consecutive half century (53) of the tournament, reached the 10,000-run mark in one-day international cricket.

Opting to bat first, Sharma took charge against the Lankans early on and helped India pile up 65 runs in the first ten overs. Although he reached his 51st ODI fifty in the 13th over, Sharma hit a fantastic lofted straight drive for a six in the seventh over to reach 10,000 ODI runs for India.

By achieving this feat, the Indian skipper etched himself into the legendary list of batters who have dominated the 50-over format. The Mumbai-born batter became the sixth Indian and the 15th overall to accomplish the feat.

On that note, we take a look at all six Indian batters to complete 10,000 ODI runs and rank them according to the number of innings taken by them to achieve the feat.

---

#6. Rahul Dravid - 287 innings

Rahul Dravid was an underrated ODI player [Getty Images]

With 10,889 international runs in 50-over cricket, Rahul Dravid is India's fourth-highest run-scorer in ODIs after Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and Sourav Ganguly. Overall, his 10,889 runs are the tenth-best on the all-time list.

Though his contributions in Test cricket are widely acknowledged, he is far underrated in limited-overs cricket, and that’s where a lot of cricket pundits undermine his efforts.

Despite batting in as many as eight different batting positions in his career, Dravid hammered 83 half-centuries and 12 centuries. He reached 10,000 runs in his 287th innings, which was against Sri Lanka in 2007. Dravid hit a match-winning 66 in that encounter to help India defeat the Lankans.

---

#5. MS Dhoni - 273 innings

MS Dhoni - one of the greatest white-ball finishers [Getty Images]

One of India's most successful captains, MS Dhoni is fifth on the list as he took 273 innings to complete 10,000 ODI runs. Dhoni reached the landmark during India's 86-run loss against England at the Lord's in July, 2018.

Considered as probably the best finisher to play the 50-over format, Dhoni always led India from the front. He famously led his side to the ODI World Cup win in 2011 before guiding the Men in Blue to a Champions Trophy triumph in 2013.

Across 297 ODI innings, Dhoni mustered 10,773 runs at an average of 50.53, including 73 fifties and 10 hundreds.

---

#4. Sourav Ganguly - 263 innings

Sourav Ganguly scored over 11,000 ODI runs [Getty Images]

Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly was one of the best white-ball openers of his era. He was as consistent as any other batter, which is why it took him only 263 innings to reach the 10,000-run mark in ODIs.

Ganguly completed his landmark against Sri Lanka in Dambulla in 2005, where his 51-run knock went in vain as the hosts recorded a four-wicket victory.

Ganguly played his last one-day international in 2007 against Pakistan and ended his career with 11,363 runs. The former captain also scored 22 centuries and 72 half-centuries, for a high score of 183 runs.

---

#3. Sachin Tendulkar - 259 innings

Sachin Tendulkar - the greatest batter of all-time [Getty Images]

No batting record is complete without Sachin Tendulkar. 'The Little Master' is probably the greatest ODI batter of all-time, having scored 18,426 runs - the most by any batter in the history of the format.

Tendulkar has also hammered a record 96 fifties and 49 centuries in the format. The Mumbai-born cricketer was the first-ever batter to complete 10,000 ODI runs, when he famously scored 139 runs against Australia in Indore in 2001.

---

#2. Rohit Sharma - 241 innings

Rohit Sharma has been on a red-hot form [Getty Images]

The latest entrant on the list, Rohit Sharma surpassed Sachin Tendulkar to become the second-fastest Indian to complete 10,000 ODI runs. As mentioned above, 'The Hitman' reached his milestone against Sri Lanka in his 241st ODI innings.

During his 53-run knock on Tuesday, Sharma also completed 8,000 ODI runs as an opener. This was his 160th ODI innings as an opener, thus becoming the fastest to reach 8,000 ODI runs as an opener, beating Hashim Amla - who took 173 innings.

Thus far, Sharma has mustered 10,031 runs at an average of 48.93 across 241 innings. He has also hit 51 half-centuries and 30 centuries in the format, including three double hundreds.

---

#1. Virat Kohli - 205 innings

Virat Kohli pumped up after his hundred vs Pakistan [Getty Images]

Arguably the best batter of his generation, Virat Kohli holds the record for reaching 10,000 ODI runs in the fewest innings. The run machine reached the landmark in an ODI against the West Indies in Vishakhapatnam in 2018. It was only his 205th ODI innings, where he clobbered 157* off 129 balls.

Kohli also recently became the fastest player to complete 13,000 ODI runs (in 267 innings), as he scored an unbeaten 122 in India's recent Asia Cup 2023 clash against Pakistan.

The 34-year old, who has been the pillar of the Indian team since his debut in 2008, is still going strong. Across his 268 ODI innings, Kohli has amassed 13,027 runs at an incredible average of 57.39, including 65 fifties and 47 centuries.