Virat Kohli or Sachin Tendulkar - Who Holds the Crown?

(Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar playing together for India in ODI World Cup 2011)

Indian cricket has seen some of the best players playing for the country. Starting from Sunil Gavaskar to coming down to modern era rulers like Shubman Gill, the fans have seen everything now. However, the one debate that always sparks a debate is between two Indian legends who have ruled the batting charts, Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar are the players who have taken the Indian team to new heights. These two icons have not only excelled individually but have also propelled the Indian team to unprecedented success, leaving an indelible mark on the cricketing world. However, now the main question arises: who is the best in the world? To answer, let's delve into the remarkable careers of Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar. With their unparalleled achievements, the debate continues to captivate fans worldwide.

Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar's Impact on Indian Cricket

When India won the 1983 World Cup, players like Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and others became the inspiration of many young cricketers out there. Such has been the case with Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli too as they both were the ODI World Cup winners in 2011 and both have been an inspiration to all the young minds who are looking to pursue cricket. But before comparing both the cricketers, first, let's look out at how both of them started their journey in cricket.

1. Sachin Tendulkar

Claimed as the “God of Cricket”, Sachin Tendulkar is always rated highly by all cricket fans and experts because of the longevity he had in his career. He made his debut in 1989 when he was 16 and was facing the deadly fast bowlers of Pakistan in Karachi. Throughout his career, he has been at the top of his game and has played some of the best bowlers of the world when the conditions were not batting-friendly.

(Sachin Tendulkar after scoring his 100th International century)

In the history of cricket, he is the only man who has got 100 international centuries and besides this, he has been the recipient of the Arjuna Award in 1994, Khel Ratna in 1997, Padma Shri in 1998 and Padma Vibhushan in 2008 along with Bharat Ratna in 2013. With 34,357 runs in 664 international cricket matches, Sachin Tendulkar is currently the highest run scorer in ODI and Test cricket. He announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on 16th November 2013 when he played his last match against West Indies.

2. Virat Kohli

When asked about his idol, Virat Kohli has always said that Sachin Tendulkar remains the man because of whom he started playing cricket. Called as “King Kohli”, Virat Kohli is a player who has played his cricket with aggression and passion. The young guy from Delhi has been India’s best player in the last 10-12 years because of the way he has helped the Indian team to chase big totals. With every match-winning performance, he's made cricket fans proud. Kohli's determination and leadership inspire many.

(Virat Kohli celebrates after scoring his 50th century in the ODI format)

With more than 26000 runs in his International career and having played less than 600 matches, Virat Kohli has been at the top of his game. He's a symbol of resilience and skill in cricket's ever-changing world. Virat Kohli's journey is a testament to hard work and passion, shaping him into a cricketing legend. Furthermore, he was adjudged “Cricketer of the Decade” and “ODI Player of the Decade” during the ICC awards in 2020.

Virat Kohli vs. Sachin Tendulkar in Test Format

In the toughest format of the game, India has always relied on some of their best players to give them a match-winning knock. Players like Rahul Dravid, Cheteshwar Pujara, VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag, and others have been the players who have always given their best to the team in this format. However, the two players who have governed this format for the Indian team in their respective eras are Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar. These two players in white jerseys have always kept the team at the front to give them some brilliant wins during their playing days.

Player	Matches Played	Innings Played	Runs	Highest Score	Average	100	50
Sachin Tendulkar	200	329	15921	248*	53.78	51	68
Virat Kohli	113	191	8848	254*	49.15	29	30

(Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli in test format for the Indian team)

If you look at test cricket and talk about the best player, then Sachin Tendulkar is miles ahead of Virat Kohli here. After playing 200 test matches and scoring 15921 runs, he is at the top of the list of top run scorers in the world. His record of 51 centuries in this format shows that he has given India enough reasons to celebrate. On the other side, Virat Kohli too has been a beast player in the Test format as his form before 2019 was just too good and he was scoring runs in South Africa, England, Australia and other countries. However, his form took a dip after that, and with just 8848 runs from 191 innings, he is rated less than Sachin Tendulkar in this format.

Virat Kohli vs. Sachin Tendulkar in ODI Format

Talking about the ODI format, India has been the winner of the ODI World Cup twice; once in 1983 and the second time in 2011. During the 2011 ODI World Cup, both Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar were present in the team and contributed well to give India a World Cup under the captaincy of MS Dhoni. India has produced some great players in the ODI format like Rohit Sharma, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj SinghSourav Ganguly, and many more who have led India to glory in the number of matches. But the impact that Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar have had is just brilliant to watch and hence it makes them the Greatest of All Time in this format.

Player	Matches Played	Innings Played	Runs	Highest Score	Average	100	50
Sachin Tendulkar	463	452	18426	200*	44.83	49	96
Virat Kohli	292	280	13848	183	58.67	50	72

On comparing both the players in the ODI format, Virat Kohli looks to be the better player here because of the way he has played for the Indian team in the last 10 years. With almost 14000 runs in less than 300 matches and having the most centuries in the ODI format, Virat Kohli has got an edge over Sachin Tendulkar here. Moreover, it was Sachin Tendulkar who won the “Player of the Tournament” award in the 2003 ODI World Cup while it was Virat Kohli who bagged the same award in the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Virat Kohli vs. Sachin Tendulkar in T20 Format

The T20 Format or the cricket that is purely for entertainment came out when Sachin Tendulkar was on the verge of retirement. The format is for batters who have the capability to score big and hence can play big shots for the team. Having batters like Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Hardik Pandya and others, India has won the T20 World Cup once and it was in 2007 when India went into the tournament with all the youngsters. Right now, India is blessed to have power hitters who have been able to contribute well.

Player	Matches Played	Innings Played	Runs	Highest Score	Average	100	50
Sachin Tendulkar	1	1	10	10	10	0	0
Virat Kohli	117	109	4037	122*	51.75	1	37

Comparing Sachin Tendulkar with Virat Kohli in the T20 format isn’t justifiable as Sachin has played just one match for the Indian team in this format while Virat has been the leading run scorer in the world when we talk about the T20 format. Moreover, Virat Kohli has bagged 2 Player of the Tournament awards in the T20 World Cups 2014 and 2016. This makes him one of the best batters who has played the T20 format for the Indian team.

(Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar playing for the Indian team)

Who takes the crown?

Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli are cricketing giants known for their incredible batting skills. Tendulkar, with a career spanning 24 years, holds records for most runs in ODIs and Tests. Meanwhile, Kohli is leading the charge in T20Is with his aggressive batting style. Tendulkar's consistency and longevity have made him an icon, while Kohli's dynamic play reflects modern cricket demands. Both players inspire cricketers globally, setting new standards of excellence. Tendulkar's legacy paved the way, and Kohli is carrying the torch forward, showing the world the evolving face of the game. But what do you think, who has been the India’s greatest batter in the history?