Virat Kohli vs Sachin Tendulkar

Two of the greatest batsmen of all-time, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli are household names in the cricketing world.

There are many similarities when you look at their respective careers, both bursting onto the scene at a young age and inspiring a generation to follow suit.

Tendulkar has set the standard for Indian batsmen, just as the great Sunil Gavaskar did before him. Kohli is the latest star in the production line for Indian cricket.

But who takes top spot in the rankings when it comes to Indian cricketers? We crunch the numbers to see whether Kohli topples ‘The Little Master’ or if Tendulkar remains the greatest batsman to step up to the crease.

Kohli vs Tendulkar: The Numbers

As of August 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.

Meanwhile, 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 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 consider 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 though he has retired from the shorter format now.

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.

Tendulkar v Kohli: Who’s The Greatest?

Kohli will never 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, and time appears to be running out for him – though he remains one of India’s greatest ever batsmen.

In all likelihood, Kohli will not put up the same run totals as Tendulkar, but if he regains his best form for the final years of his career, there may be a compelling case to put Kohli at least level with Tendulkar – only time will tell.