Joe Root has added another major record to his name. Once again, Sachin Tendulkar is part of the story.
The England batter has moved ahead of the Indian great in one of international cricket’s major run-scoring records. However, Virat Kohli is still ahead of both players. Root’s latest record has added another big moment to his career.
Root reached 23,000 international runs during England’s first ODI against Sri Lanka at Chester-le-Street on September 22.
He needed only three runs to reach the mark. Root scored 44 runs in the match and reached the milestone during his innings.
More importantly, Root reached 23,000 runs in his 521st international innings.
This made Root the second-fastest batter to 23,000 international runs. He moved ahead of Tendulkar, who needed 522 innings to reach the same mark.
The difference is only one innings. Still, it is another important number in the long-running comparison between the two batters.
Root also became the first England batter to score 23,000 international runs. He also became only the eighth player in cricket history to reach the mark.
As of September 25, Root has 23,056 international runs. He scored another 15 runs in England’s second ODI against Sri Lanka at Headingley on September 24.
But one batter is still clearly ahead of Root and Tendulkar in this race.
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Virat Kohli remains fastest to 23,000 runs
Virat Kohli remains the fastest batter to reach 23,000 international runs.
The former India captain reached the mark in only 490 innings.
Root needed 31 more innings than Kohli. Tendulkar needed 522 innings, just one more than Root.
Here is the current list of the fastest batters to reach 23,000 international runs:
| Rank | Batter | Innings to 23,000 runs |
| 1 | Virat Kohli | 490 |
| 2 | Joe Root | 521 |
| 3 | Sachin Tendulkar | 522 |
| 4 | Ricky Ponting | 544 |
| 5 | Jacques Kallis | 551 |
Kohli took the top spot in 2021. He broke Tendulkar’s previous record of 522 innings.
Root has now moved past Tendulkar in this list.
Root keeps getting closer to Sachin Tendulkar in Tests
The comparison between Root and Tendulkar does not stop at the 23,000-run mark.
The bigger discussion is now about Test cricket.
Root has scored 14,278 Test runs. Tendulkar finished his career with 15,921 Test runs.
Root is therefore 1,643 runs behind Tendulkar’s Test record.
Root has already broken one major Test record held by Tendulkar.
Earlier in September, Root scored his 69th Test fifty against Pakistan. This took him past Tendulkar’s 68 Test fifties.
Root now has the most Test half-centuries in cricket history.
This has created another big question: Can Joe Root eventually become the highest run-scorer in Test cricket?
There are a few reasons why people continue to discuss this possibility.
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Why Joe Root could still challenge Sachin’s Test record
One major reason is England’s busy Test schedule.
England has played more Tests than many other teams over the years. An analysis of Test matches since 2010 found that England played around 13 Tests per year on average. This was the highest average among the 12 full-member Test nations during that period.
This gives Root more chances to score runs.
England also has a busy schedule ahead.
The team will tour South Africa for three Tests from December 2026 to January 2027. In the 2027 home summer, England will play one Test against Bangladesh.
After that, England will play a five-Test Ashes series against Australia.
These matches could give Root many more chances to score runs.
He does not need to close the entire gap in one or two series. If he keeps playing regularly and continues to score runs, he can slowly reduce the difference.
Root is also 35 years old. But he remains an active international player and has recently taken on another major role.
After Ben Stokes retired from Test cricket, Root was reappointed as England’s Test captain.
He led England in the three-Test series against Pakistan in August and September. This started another chapter in his international career.
However, Root still has a long way to go.
He needs another 1,643 runs to pass Tendulkar. He also needs to keep his place in the England team and continue scoring runs at a high level.
So, the record is still a target for Root. He has not reached it yet.
What comes next for Joe Root?
For now, Root has another Tendulkar record in his career.
He is the second-fastest batter to 23,000 international runs. He has also passed Tendulkar’s record for Test fifties.
At 23,056 international runs, Root is also getting closer to Rahul Dravid on the all-time international run-scoring list.
Dravid has 24,208 international runs. Root is 1,152 runs behind him.
Root’s latest record is therefore about more than just one number.
His career is now being compared with some of the biggest run-scorers in cricket history.
He also has a busy Test schedule ahead. That means he will get more chances to score runs and move closer to Tendulkar’s long-standing records.
Could Joe Root eventually finish his career above Sachin Tendulkar in the all-time Test run-scoring charts?
What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
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