England batter Joe Root has reached another landmark in his distinguished international career, becoming the second-fastest player to score 23,000 international runs. He achieved the feat during England’s first ODI against Sri Lanka in Durham, moving ahead of Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar on the list of the fastest players to reach the mark.
Root needed 521 innings to complete 23,000 international runs, one fewer than Tendulkar, who reached the milestone in 522 innings. India’s Virat Kohli remains the fastest to the mark, having done so in just 490 innings.
Root reached the landmark during an innings of 44 from 52 balls, including five fours, against Sri Lanka. He appeared composed at the crease, initially taking time to assess the conditions before gradually increasing his scoring rate. He negotiated both pace and spin with confidence as the innings developed.
The England batter opened his account with a well-placed boundary through the mid-wicket region and then continued to collect runs against the Sri Lankan spinners. His stay at the crease ended when debutant spinner Shacindu Colombage beat the outside edge of his bat and struck the stumps.
Despite falling short of a half-century, Root’s contribution carried considerable significance because it took him beyond one of the most notable statistical landmarks in international cricket. The 23,000-run club contains some of the most prolific batters in the history of the game, and Root is now the first Englishman to enter it.
The milestone also makes Root the eighth batter overall to score 23,000 international runs. His aggregate has risen to 23,041 runs, placing him eighth on the all-time list of international run-scorers.
Only seven players are ahead of him in the overall rankings. Former India batter Rahul Dravid occupies seventh place with 24,208 runs, leaving Root within 1,167 runs of moving past him.
The fastest players to reach 23,000 international runs are led by Kohli, who reached the figure in 490 innings. Root follows with 521, ahead of Tendulkar on 522, while former Australia captain Ricky Ponting required 544 innings.
Root’s latest achievement adds another statistical distinction to a career built across all three international formats. His longevity has allowed him to accumulate runs steadily over many years, while his ability to adapt between Test and limited-overs cricket has remained a defining feature of his career.
At 35, Root is now firmly among the most prolific run-scorers in international cricket. His latest milestone places him alongside figures such as Tendulkar, Ponting and Dravid in the broader record books, while the comparison with Kohli highlights the different paths taken by the leading run-makers of the modern era.
For England, Root’s continued presence at the top level also represents a significant source of experience. His latest 44 may not have developed into a major innings, but it was enough to secure a landmark that had been within reach for some time and to move him past Tendulkar in the race to 23,000 international runs.
