Our cricket expert @SamRCox_ tackles the Sachin Tendulkar vs Virat Kohli debate. Who deserves to be recognised as India's greatest batsman?
Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli are two of the greatest batters of all-time.
There are similarities in their paths to stardom, both breaking onto the international scene at a young age, both delivering some marquee knocks against the world’s best attacks.
Tendulkar has been the yardstick for Indian batters, just as Sunil Gavaskar was before. Kohli, though, is a player and personality of a different era.
Weighing up Tendulkar vs Kohli is a debate which will run on for decades. Like with Stokes vs Botham, Messi vs Maradona or LeBron vs Jordan, there are objective and subjective elements.
Comparing two eras is never easy, even for those with a lifetime of experience betting on cricket.
A raw statistical comparison is perhaps the cleanest way to identify their strengths and weaknesses, but that misses out their overall impact and the quality of opposition. Each faced different challenges throughout their careers which cannot always be quantified.
The demeanours of the Little Master and King Kohli are in stark contrast. Their place in the history books is remarkably similar, however, and they are almost equally adored by the hundreds of millions of cricket fans in India.
Kohli has conquered all three formats. International T20 cricket came a bit late for Tendulkar, but he was similarly skilled in adapting his game as the colour of the ball changed.
Other than longevity (and that gap is closing), there is little to choose between the numerical records of Kohli and Tendulkar.
Kohli vs Tendulkar Stats
Virat Kohli’s Test average has slipped below 50 after a subpar couple of years by his standards.
As of March 2024, Kohli averages just 49.15 in Tests, but he’s climbed to 19th in all-time Test runs, and has a place in the top 10 in his sights if he plays into his late thirties.
Tendulkar is the all-time leading Test run scorer having played 200 matches and batting a grand total of 329 times. His average is a few runs superior to Kohli at 53.78.
Only Adam Voges, Kumar Sangakkara and Jacques Kallis have bettered Tendulkar’s average of retired players to play in the 21st century.
While Kohli’s returns in recent online betting matches have seen a clear decline, he still has a better career average than many greats of the game, including Michael Clarke and Graeme Smith.
Of course, given the favourable conditions batting in India, direct comparison of averages with other players isn’t entirely fair.
Where Kohli looked on a Tendulkar-esque Test trajectory not so long ago, he has slipped to over four runs shy of the Little Master. Tendulkar has the edge here, though it is very possible Kohli closes the gap in the coming years.
Kohli has the advantage in white-ball cricket, however. His ODI strike rate is seven runs per 100 balls better than Tendulkar’s. And yes, scoring rates have increased considerably since Tendulkar retired, but that is a sizeable difference.
Only five players have a better ODI average than Kohli’s 58.67. Tendulkar’s 44.83 is still impressive, but only one of the players ahead of Kohli has played more than 48 One-Day Internationals.
The pure numbers also do not take into account the sheer number of match-winning knocks Kohli has played in white-ball cricket. He is a genius in run chases.
It’s only fair to take Kohli’s T20 prowess into account here, too. Aside from his various IPL records, he’s also owner of the second-best batting average in international T20 cricket.
Tendulkar ultimately played just a few IPL seasons in his twilight years. Averaging just under 33 is a solid return, but he is far short of Kohli’s 41.40 in domestic T20 cricket.
Kohli also had a considerable lead in strike rate, up at 133.50 compared to Tendulkar’s 121.08.
Captaincy Impact
Tendulkar captained India just 16 times in Test cricket, winning only four matches. He captained 73 ODIs, winning just 23. It is not even a competition with Kohli in this department.
Kohli is India’s most successful Test captain with 40 wins in 68 matches. His winning percentage is the highest of any Indian skipper to lead the team in more than six Tests.
That trend continues in ODI cricket with 60 wins from 95 matches. He also won 30 of 50 T20is and led Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL.
Obviously, a captain’s record is predominantly about the talent around them. India were far less competitive when Tendulkar was in charge, while Kohli benefited from a deep pool of international-calibre players.
It also shouldn’t be ignored that Kohli is a natural, fiery leader. Tendulkar is a reserved, quieter character. Kohli is a battler, a thoroughbred competitor.
Tendulkar is adored partly because of his gentle nature. Kohli was made for captaincy; Tendulkar was not. How much this matters in the Tendulkar vs Kohli argument will depend on your mindset, but it is at least a factor to consider.
On top of being the star batter in three formats alongside IPL commitments and all that comes with being a mega-celebrity in India, Kohli was the driving force of the national team.
His attitude changed the Indian team for the better, making an irrepressible force in T20s, ODIs and Tests. The impact of Kohli the captain is hard to overstate.
How India play cricket has changed, perhaps for good, and their standing among the world’s best teams improved greatly during Kohli’s reign.
Yes, other factors are at play, but just as Allan Border transformed Australia, Kohli has played a seismic role in cementing India’s standing.
Being a leader and captain for so long obviously takes its toll – it asks so much of a player to do that in multiple formats, particularly with the force of personality that Kohli brought to the role.
Tendulkar vs Kohli Verdict
The packed nature of the cricket calendar for three-format players will probably mean Kohli does not match Tendulkar’s longevity.
Kohli is only just over halfway to Tendulkar’s Test run tally and two-thirds of the way to his ODI mark. The statistics are going to look different comparing players from these eras, such is the role of T20 cricket in the modern calendar.
This isn’t just about aggregate stats, though. Kohli and Tendulkar overlapped, yet they are cricketers from different eras. Kohli has seen the highest T20 scores climb and climb.
The skills modern players possess are remarkable – even technically superb, generally orthodox players like Kohli are playing shots that were not even invented during Tendulkar’s career.
Tendulkar probably could have adapted to the current game if his career came a decade later.
Yet, Kohli and many modern players have had to meet demands that simply did not exist 15 or 20 years ago. That’s before we even consider his influence and workload as a captain.
Kohli will not match Tendulkar’s level of adoration in India, but he’s far closer to the Little Master than most would have imagined when he debuted in international cricket in 2008.
It will take a remarkable final few years of Kohli’s career for him to match Tendulkar in the record books.
In all likelihood, Kohli will not put up the same run totals as Tendulkar, but if he regains his best form for another three or four years, there will be a compelling case to put Kohli at least level with Tendulkar, particularly if India enjoy further team success.
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*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*
