Cricket
Kohli vs Tendulkar: The Ultimate Comparison of Cricket Legends
India has been blessed with cricketing talent over the years. From Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar to Rahul Dravid and Ravichandran Ashwin, these are just a few cricket players who have lit up the national side. However, there are two that tower over many of their illustrious countrymen — Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar. Their batting feats are sublime, and they have set the tone on the international scene. Their longevity shouldn’t be overlooked either.
Sachin Tendulkar speaks with Virat Kohli//Getty Images
At SportsBoom, we have rummaged through all the available stats and we have tried to settle one of the most keenly contested debates that has raged for years over who is better – Tendulkar or Kohli? We’ve compiled a series of tables, which in turn, should give you a clearer idea.
Career Overview
Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli have both been dominant figures in international cricket, so we have taken a quick look at the trajectories their careers have taken:
Tendulkar Career
Bursting onto the scene as a 16-year-old in 1989, Tendulkar was given a rude introduction to Test cricket when he was hit on the head by a ferocious Waqar Younis bouncer against Pakistan.
However, after settling himself, Tendulkar carved out a career as a prolific run scorer. He amassed 100 international centuries, but even more impressively, he churned out seven double centuries, six in Tests, and one in ODIs.
Key to his longevity was his winning mindset, and he hated losing. The ‘Little Master’ as he is affectionately known, retired in 2013 after 24 years at the top. In February 2025, he was recognised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for his contributions and honoured with a lifetime achievement award.
Kohli Career
If Tendulkar paved the way for the transformation of Indian cricket, Virat Kohli picked up the baton and ran away with it.
Kohli’s ODI career predates his Test career, and he made his debut in limited-overs cricket in 2008. His Test debut, meanwhile, came in 2011. However, it was concerning by all accounts as he made just 19 runs across two innings against West Indies.
Nevertheless, Kohli’s Test record is exceptional as you will discover. He has also produced some clutch knocks over the years in limited-overs cricket, including an unbeaten 82 from just 53 balls against Pakistan in the ICC 2022 World Cup. Undoubtedly, he’s an ODI legend.
Statistical Comparison
It’s fair to assume Tendulkar and Kohli are giants of Indian cricket, and they are undisputed masters of their craft. We should point out Tendulkar only played one T20I, so his stats will appear rather skewed compared to Kohli who was a proven run scorer in that format.
Kohli thrived in the shorter game too which would suggest he was more of an all-rounder in terms of his skillset.
We have compiled a series of tables, illustrating Tendulkar and Kohli’s records across all formats of the game.
Statistical Comparison
Test stats
| Player | Matches | Runs | Average | 100s | 50s | Highest Score |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 200 | 15921 | 53.78 | 51 | 68 | 248* |
| Virat Kohli | 123 | 9230 | 46.85 | 30 | 31 | 254* |
ODI stats
| Player | Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s | Highest Score |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 463 | 18426 | 44.83 | 86.23 | 49 | 96 | 200* |
| Virat Kohli | 299 | 14085 | 58.20 | 93.41 | 51 | 73 | 183 |
T20I stats
| Player | Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s | Highest Score |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 1 | 10 | 10.00 | 83.33 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Virat Kohli | 125 | 4188 | 48.69 | 137.04 | 1 | 38 | 122* |
IPL stats
| Player | Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s | Highest Score |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 78 | 2334 | 34.84 | 119.82 | 1 | 13 | 100* |
| Virat Kohli | 252 | 8004 | 38.67 | 131.97 | 8 | 55 | 113* |
Impact and Legacy
Tendulkar Impact and Legacy
Before Tendulkar announced himself to international cricket, India was hardly a superpower. However, that all changed when he arrived. Tendulkar had an incredible appetite for scoring runs, but he was dedicated to his work, achieving god-like status.
Tendulkar’s powers of concentration were remarkable. That was underlined by his 10-hour stint at the crease en route to an unbeaten 241 against Australia in a Test match in 2004. He perfected every shot in the book, but his trademark stroke was the straight drive, and he was the face of Indian cricket during the 1990s and early 2000s.
Many of Tendulkar’s records have stood for decades, and it could be some time before they are broken. We have mentioned the 100 international centuries he registered, but he also holds the records for most ODI runs in a calendar year (1894) and most fours in ODIs (2016) among countless others.
Despite retiring over a decade ago, Tendulkar’s legacy lives on. He continues to be idolised by Indian cricket fans, and his work off the field hasn’t gone unnoticed either. He set up the Sachin Tendulkar Foundation which aims to empower underprivileged children through sport, and he has done some commentary work too.
Kohli’s Impact and Legacy
Kohli quickly asserted himself as the new face of Indian cricket following Tendulkar’s retirement, and he put his stamp on things. Characterised by his dedication to changing the fitness regime of the team, Kohli has pushed things forward, and made India more aggressive on the field.
A brilliant all-rounder, Kohli has earned plaudits for his leadership skills, but also for his signature drive. It has even left Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting in awe of Kohli, recently describing Kohli as “the best 50 overs player he has ever seen”.
Kohli is still playing catch-up to Tendulkar in some batting records, but Kohli was the fastest to 14000 ODI runs (287 innings), and he was won the most man-of-the-match awards in T20 internationals (seven) which is a mark of the impact he’s had in the shortest format of the game.
It’s perhaps a bit difficult to talk about legacy considering Kohli hasn’t hung up his spikes yet. However, he would like to be fondly remembered when he calls time on his career, and thought of as someone who spearheaded an exciting era for Indian cricket.
Captaincy Comparison
On the face of it, Tendulkar, who tried to steer clear of controversy during his distinguished career, wasn’t renowned for his captaincy abilities. If anything, he was quite humble and let his runs do the talking.
In contrast, Kohli has never been shy in expressing his views and has been more outspoken. Nevertheless, he has done a brilliant job in leading from the front and contributing with the bat. Moreover, he has made India a dominant force in international cricket.
This table compares Tendulkar and Kohli’s win records while as captain.
Captaincy Comparison
| Player | Matches as Captain (Test/ODIs/T20Is) | Wins (Test/ODIs/T20Is) | ICC Trophies Won |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 25/73/0 | 4/23/0 | 0 |
| Virat Kohli | 68/95/50 | 40/65/30 | 0 |
Achievements Comparison
As two of the game’s undisputed legends, Kohli and Tendulkar have achieved virtually everything that cricket has to offer.
Their careers have been littered with records and honours, and Kohli has scooped virtually every ICC award going. We have produced a table highlighting Kohli’s milestones and Tendulkar, who despite winning the World Cup just once, some define as cricket’s G.O.A.T.
Achievements Comparison
| Milestone | Sachin Tendulkar | Virat Kohli |
| International Centuries | 100 | 82 |
| World Cups won | 1 | 2 |
| Major ICC Awards | ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, Cricketer of the Year, Laureus Sporting Moment | ODI Player of the Year, Test Player of the Year, Cricketer of the Year, and Test Teams of the Year |
| Records Held | Most Test matches, Most Test Hundreds, and Most ODI runs in a calendar year | Most runs in a Series (ODI), Fastest to 3,500 runs (T20Is), and Most Fifties in a Career (T20Is) |
Fan Following and Cultural Influence
In terms of cultural impact and fan following, Kohli stands tall here. He is a global icon, and he is the most famous cricketer in the world.
He’s accumulated over 270 million followers on Instagram, and fans are always fascinated to know what he’s up to both on and off the pitch.
Tendulkar may be idolised, but his rise to prominence came at a time before social media took off, so his Instagram followers (50 million) are dwarfed by Kohli.
FAQs
Based on runs scored, no, Kohli hasn’t overtaken Tendulkar in ODIs. Tendulkar (18426) is more than 4,000 runs ahead of Kohli.
Tendulkar still holds a few records that Kohli hasn’t broken yet, including the most runs scored at ODI and Test level, the most matches played at Test level (200), and the most fours scored in ODIs (2016). Many of these records, we suspect, are likely to stand a while longer.
Conclusion
In summary, Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar have done a lot to change the face of Indian cricket. Tendulkar was the original poster boy, and he paved the way for Kohli to pick up the baton and drive India forward.
Both have achieved legendary status, and that has come through a mixture of sheer talent as well as perseverance. Who is your pick for the greatest cricketer of all time?
References
- 1
Sachin Tendulkar India Test debut – How Sachin Tendulkar transformed India’s fortunes: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz6w0lygq22o Accessed February 27. 2025
- 2
Sachin Tendulkar’s Lifetime Achievement Award – BCCI award Sachin Tendulkar with a Lifetime Achievement Award: https://www.bcci.tv/articles/2025/news/55556181/sachin-tendulkar-honoured-with-lifetime-achievement-award-at-bcci-naman-awards-2025 Accessed February 28. 2025
- 3
Sachin Tendulkar’s epic Test innings – Sachin Tendulkar spending over 10 hours at the crease against Australia in 2004: https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/longest-individual-innings-by-minutes-284006 Accessed February 28. 2025
- 4
Ricky Ponting on Virat Kohli – Ricky Ponting reserves special praise for Virat Kohli in limited-overs cricket: https://www.espn.com/cricket/story/_/id/44018424/virat-kohli-best-50-overs-player-ever-seen-says-ricky-ponting Accessed February 28. 2025
Charles Perrin is a highly experienced sports betting content writer with over six years of working with some of the leading sportsbooks in the UK, including bet365 and William Hill.