In international cricket, reaching 10,000 runs is enough to secure a place among the great batters. Achieving 30,000 runs, however, remains a dream for most.
Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar accomplished this rare feat exactly 15 years ago today.
In 2009, during the first Test match against Sri Lanka in Ahmedabad, Tendulkar reached this milestone in the second innings.
Facing a delivery from Chanaka Welegedara, Tendulkar pushed the ball to deep square leg and took a single, making him the first batter to surpass 30,000 international runs across all formats.
The ‘Master Blaster’ went on to score a century, marking his 43rd career Test century. The match ended in a draw.
Initially, Sri Lanka had the upper hand, but due to strong performances by Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir in the second innings, India managed to avoid defeat.
The match, played at the batting-friendly Motera Stadium, saw a flood of runs. India scored 426 runs in their first innings, while Sri Lanka put up a mammoth 760.
In their second innings, India scored 412 for the loss of four wickets, ending the match without a result.
For India, Rahul Dravid (177), MS Dhoni (110), Tendulkar (100), and Gambhir (114) all made centuries, while Sri Lanka’s Prasanna Jayawardene (154), Tillakaratne Dilshan (112), and Mahela Jayawardene (275) also excelled with the bat.
The bulk of Tendulkar’s runs came from ODIs and Tests, with only 10 runs from T20Is. He scored 17,178 runs in ODIs and 12,777 runs in Tests.
Sachin entered the international cricket scene at the age of 16 and his consistency over a long career enabled him to achieve this record.
By the time he retired in 2013, he had amassed a total of 34,357 runs, including 100 international centuries—records that still stand unmatched.
Only Kumar Sangakkara (28,016), Ricky Ponting (27,483), and Virat Kohli (27,134) have come close, with Kohli being the only active player who might break Tendulkar’s record.
Also Read: Virat Kohli Breaks Sachin Tendulkar Record: Smashes 1st Hundred Since 2019 To Power India To 212/2
