Kohli fastest to 7000 ODI runs

Virat Kohli has become the fastest man to score 7000 runs in One-Day International cricket, but South African star Hashim Amla remains well on track to take the record for himself.

Kohli brought up his 7000th ODI run during the third Victoria Bitter ODI against Australia at the MCG this afternoon, reaching the milestone with his 656th career boundary, a glance off the bowling of James Faulkner to the rope at fine leg. He went on to post his 24th ODI century and his first at the MCG.

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Today was Kohli's 161st ODI innings, easily breaking the previous record for the fastest to 7000 runs of 165 innings set by South African AB de Villiers against Australia in November 2014.

While the Indian cruised past de Villiers' record, he's unlikely to hold the title for much longer.

Jan 12 - Kohli's entertaining 91

Kohli has previously held or shared the record for the fastest player to 5000 and 6000 ODI runs, only for the prolific Amla to surpass him on both occasions.

In November 2013, Kohli equalled the great Sir Vivian Richards as the fastest player to 5000 runs, bringing up the milestone in his 114th career innings. But a little more than a year later, Amla smashed that record by bringing up his 5000th run in just his 101st innings.

It was deja vu last October when Amla brought up his 6000th career run in his 123rd innings - ironically against India in Mumbai - again comfortably breaking Kohli's mark of 136 innings set 12 months earlier.

Jan 15 - Kohli in the runs again

The Proteas star currently has 6008 career runs from 123 innings and is well on track to score the 992 runs he needs to reach the 7000 mark ahead of Kohli.

Amla currently holds the record for being the fastest player to the 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000 and 6000 run milestones.

While Amla's career is moving at a faster rate than Kohli's, the Indian star continues to compile a record that could one day match that of the legenadry Sachin Tendulkar.

The 27-year-old has now scored 24 ODI centuries from 161 ODI innings, an average of one every 6.71 innings, compared to Tendulkar's mighty record of 49 centuries from 452 innings, an average of one every 9.22 innings.

Fastest to 7000 ODI runs

Virat Kohli (India) - 161 innings

AB de Villiers (South Africa) - 166 innings

Sourav Ganguly (India) - 174 innings

Brian Lara (West Indies) - 183 innings

Desmond Haynes (West Indies) - 187 innings