Joe Root playing for England [Source: AFP]Joe Root has added another landmark to an already extraordinary international career. The England batter reached the 23,000-run mark during the first ODI against Sri Lanka at the Riverside Ground on Tuesday. Root entered the contest needing a small contribution to reach the landmark and got there early in England's innings. In doing so, Joe Root joined an exclusive group containing some of the biggest run-scorers international cricket has produced.Joe Root reaches 23,000 International runs in cricketRoot, who recently recreated Sachin Tendulkar's iconic Test record, completed 23,000 international runs in his 521st innings during England's first ODI against Sri Lanka in Chester-le-Street.The milestone arrived when Root moved to 20 runs off 20 deliveries, with four boundaries to his name. England had opted to bat and were 59/1 after 9.4 overs when Root reached the landmark, batting alongside Ben Duckett.Joe Root becomes second-fastest to reach the massive milestoneThe achievement also places Root second on the list of batters who reached 23,000 international runs in the fewest innings:Fastest to 23000 Runs in International Cricket:490 Innings - Virat Kohli521 Innings - Joe Root*522 Innings - Sachin Tendulkar544 Innings - Ricky Ponting551 Innings - Jacques Kallis568 Innings - Kumar Sangakkara576 Innings - Rahul Dravid645 Innings - Mahela JayawardeneRoot is now the eighth batter in men's international cricket to cross 23,000 runs, joining an extraordinary list that includes India's Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, Australia's Ricky Ponting and Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara.Also Read- Joe Root Creates New Record, Becomes 1st England Player To Attain Historic ODI MilestoneRoot's glorious international careerRoot's numbers explain why the milestone carries such weight. The England star has scored 14,278 runs in 169 Tests, including 41 centuries, while his ODI tally stands at 7,849 runs in 193 matches with 20 hundreds. He also scored 893 runs in 32 T20Is.His Test career has been particularly remarkable. Joe Root became England's highest Test run-scorer, moving beyond Alastair Cook, while his 2024 double-century against Pakistan helped underline his longevity at the highest level. By 2025, he had also moved ahead of Ricky Ponting into second place on the all-time international run charts, further placing his pedestal higher on the charts.Root is aging like fine wineRoot's recent numbers suggest that his productivity has not faded with age. In 2026, he has scored 1,020 international runs in 20 innings at an average of 72.85, including two centuries and eight fifties. That is a striking contrast to his overall career average of 49.93.His record also reveals some particularly productive match-ups. Root has scored 4,644 runs against India at 56.63, while Sri Lanka have been another favourable opponent, against whom he has made 2,854 runs at 63.42. Geographically, Sri Lanka has been one of his most productive destinations too. Joe Root has scored 1,415 runs there at an extraordinary average of 70.75. In England, meanwhile, he has amassed 12,021 runs at 52.72, including 34 centuries. His 2026 numbers show that even after more than a decade at the top, Root continues to add milestones to an already remarkable career.Also Read- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s Latest India Snub Leaves Japan Captain Disappointed
