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Joe Root became the first England batter to cross 23,000 international runs, reaching the milestone in his 521st innings during an ODI against Sri Lanka.
Joe Root became the eighth player in men's international cricket to reach 23,000 runs on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, when he crossed the landmark at Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street. The occasion was an ODI between England and Sri Lanka, and Root brought up the milestone before being dismissed for 44 off 52 balls.
Root is the first England batter in history to accumulate 23,000 international runs across all formats, placing him alongside seven of the most decorated batters the game has seen. The complete list of players to have reached the mark now reads: Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Kumar Sangakkara, Ricky Ponting, Mahela Jayawardene, Jacques Kallis, Rahul Dravid and Root.
How does Root compare to Kohli and Tendulkar in reaching 23,000 runs?
Root reached 23,000 international runs in 521 innings, making him the second-fastest batter to the milestone by innings. Kohli set the benchmark that remains the fastest, getting there in 490 innings. Tendulkar, who had held second place for many years, required 522 innings, one more than Root needed at Riverside Ground.
By moving past Tendulkar's innings count, Root has claimed a record that had stood unchallenged for a considerable period. His Test run tally currently stands at 14,278 runs, which leaves him some way short of Tendulkar's all-time Test record of 15,921 runs, though Root continues to play across all three formats and adds to his total with each series.
What other Tendulkar record did Root break earlier in September 2026?
Root's record-breaking run in September 2026 did not start at Chester-le-Street. Earlier that month, Root scored an unbeaten 62 against Pakistan at Edgbaston, an innings during which he surpassed Tendulkar's record for the most half-centuries in Test cricket. Root now holds 69 Test fifties, moving him clear of Tendulkar's previous mark in that category.
England won the series against Pakistan 3-0, completing a clean sweep, with Root contributing throughout the campaign. The Edgbaston fifty and the 23,000-run landmark at Riverside Ground mean Root has broken two separate Tendulkar records within the same calendar month, a sequence that underlines the consistency he has maintained across formats and conditions over a long international career.
Fastest Batter To Score 23000 Runs In International Cricket:
- 490 Innings - Virat Kohli
- 521 Innings - Joe Root*
- 522 Innings - Sachin Tendulkar
- 544 Innings - Ricky Ponting
- 551 Innings - Jacques Kallis