Kohli, who currently plays only the ODI format, achieved the milestone at the BCA International Stadium in Kotambi, Vadodara, moving past Sangakkara’s tally of 28,016 international runs. He now trails only Sachin Tendulkar, who remains at the top of the list with 34,357 runs.
The Indian star needed 42 runs at the start of the match to break Sangakkara’s record and reached the landmark in the 19th over of India’s run chase.
Kohli went on to score a match-winning 93, guiding India to victory as the hosts successfully chased 300 runs, finishing at 306 for six.
In the process, Kohli also became the fastest player in international cricket history to reach 28,000 runs, achieving the feat in just 624 innings.
New Zealand had earlier posted 300 for eight in their allotted overs.