India’s national sport, cricket, is considered a religion by many fans. The game has produced many heroes who have worn the national colors and made history. Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar are two such giants who have captured the hearts of millions of people. They’ve set benchmarks that will stand the test of time. While Sachin Tendulkar’s ODI career lasted 22 years, it only took Virat Kohli 15 years to tie Tendulkar’s record for most ODI hundreds. Scroll down to read Sachin Tendulkar vs Virat Kohli – Who Is Better?
Sachin Tendulkar vs Virat Kohli : Jumping-off Point of their Glorious Career
Sachin Tendulkar
When he made his Test debut for India in 1989, the “Master Blaster” stunned the cricket world at the early age of 16. Due to his early debut in the sport and exceptional talent, he attracted attention right away. He was a prodigy who had talent and maturity well beyond his years. Tendulkar was tipped as Indian cricket’s future star when he was still a young player, and he lived up to the high expectations placed on him by many, going on to become one of the game’s greatest players of all time.
The conventional batting style of Sachin Tendulkar was greatly admired. He was a true maestro because of his exquisite stroke play, perfect balance, and ease of playing both speed and spin. He had exceptional straight drives, on drives, and backfoot cover drives. Tendulkar was able to handle the most challenging deliveries thanks to his excellent length judgment and footwork. With his style, Tendulkar was trustworthy and adaptable on both the turning tracks of India and the bouncy wickets of Australia.
Virat Kohli
In contrast, Kohli’s journey was more of a progression. Despite displaying early promise, it took him some time to establish himself as a reliable and formidable force in international cricket when he made his debut for the Indian cricket team in 2008. Early in the 2010s, Kohli came into his own, showing off his exceptional talent and desire to chase goals in limited-overs cricket.
Virat Kohli’s aggressive and contemporary batting style is well-known. He plays with an intensity that is rarely matched, and he is a hard opponent. The way that Kohli plays on the field demonstrates his enthusiasm and shot selection, as does his strike rate. He is renowned for having a powerful bottom hand, which enables him to play with aggressive and forceful aim. Cover drives and flip strokes are two of Kohli’s defining techniques, and he constantly stands out for his ability to rotate the strike.
Run Machines: Sachin Tendulkar vs Virat Kohli in ODI Cricket
Compared to Kohli’s average of 5.65 innings, Sachin Tendulkar has amassed 49 hundred in 452 one-day international innings, or one century per 9.22 innings. Despite the seeming magnitude of the gap, their century-scoring frequency is comparable to averages in their respective timeframes. Kohli’s record stands at 49 hundred in 277 innings or 5.65 innings per hundred. Throughout his two-decade career, Sachin Tendulkar participated in 463 One-Day Internationals. With a total of 18,426 runs at an amazing average of 44.83 and a startling rate of 86.23, he has the most runs in this format.
Tendulkar celebrates his 35th birthday on April 24, 2008. By that time, he had amassed 16,361 runs at an average of 44.33 and an 85.48 strike rate across 417 matches. This was somewhat below his overall career average. It just serves to highlight how the hitter maintained his run-scoring ability till the end of his career. At thirty-five, Tendulkar had amassed forty-nine hundred, seven fewer than Kohli. In 2011, he had yet to win the World Cup.
In the meantime, since making his One-Day International (ODI) debut in 2008, Virat Kohli has participated in 289 ODIs. The 35-year-old has a 93.55 strike rate and an average of 58.48, scoring 13,626 runs. Even if Tendulkar’s two are better than the latter two, both may be signs of the evolution of cricket.
Nov 5, Sunday, saw Kohli notch his 49th century in one-day cricket. Alongside Tendulkar, he helped India win the 2011 World Cup, and he intends to do it again in 2023 when the championship is held in his country.
Sachin Tendulkar vs Virat Kohli: ODIs Stats & Records Comparison
The Long-Format Showdown: Sachin Tendulkar vs Virat Kohli
Two of the greatest batting superstars in history are Indian players Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar. In their respective eras, these two well-known batters destroyed bowling attacks, demonstrating their brilliance and leaving all mortals in the dust.
These two people are the cornerstones of their respective hitting lines. Tendulkar carried the nation’s burden for an astounding 24 years, but Kohli has been India’s benefactor for more than 10 years. Both of these well-known batters can make even the best bowling attacks seem unremarkable when they are playing at their most intense.
Sachin Tendulkar’s long career as an international cricket player has come to an end with 200 test matches played. With 183 games played, James Anderson is the closest current player to Sachin’s total. Even the England pacer might have trouble matching Sachin’s total, though.
However, even if he has an outstanding batting record in the 111 test matches he has played in during his career, Virat Kohli is still a long way from surpassing Sachin’s record. Given his high standards and levels of fitness, Kohli could play elite cricket for four or five years, if he so chooses. But it’s improbable that India will have 89 test matches planned during that time; therefore, Sachin will be able to hold the record.
Kohli’s advantage in chases
Of his 27 ODI hundreds, 23 have come from wins Kohli. Tendulkar has a 17-hundred-chasing record, with just three defeats. When batting first, Tendulkar did manage to score 32 to Kohli’s 22.
India’s higher winning percentage over the last 15 years has caused a change in the outcomes of their centuries. India won 61.59% of the matches when Virat Kohli was in the starting XI, compared to just 50.54% when Tendulkar was. As a result, Kohli has 41 victories to Tendulkar’s 49, while just 33 came from wins.
What was the location of their centuries?
Out of 49 hundred, Tendulkar has 20 at home, while Kohli has 23 in India. There is a difference in the number of hundreds achieved away from home, too, as Tendulkar has only scored 12 in his career compared to Kohli’s 21. Due to a decrease in ODI contests, particularly at neutral locations, Kohli was not able to play against teams other than the first ten full-member nations.
Approximately 40% of Tendulkar’s ODI matches have been in bilateral series, although two-thirds of his have. Kohli has at least one ODI century in each of the nine countries he has represented. On the other hand, Tendulkar participated in sixteen international Twenty20 matches, scoring hundreds in twelve of them.
Competing against the best
Tendulkar amassed hundreds against 11 different teams, 44 of which were against nine countries that were full members of the cricket world. Against associate teams, he scored five tons, one against Namibia and four against Kenya.
With just six career matches against associate nations, Kohli, on the other hand, has never scored a century against them. All 49 hundred of Kohli’s runs have come against the first nine nations to become full members. Tendulkar has at least five hundred against six different teams; his nine versus Australia is his highest total against any team. Kohli holds the record for most ODI centuries scored—ten versus Sri Lanka. In addition, he has at least 500 against six other countries.
Did others perform well when they scored hundreds?
Tendulkar had 32 hundred during the game when he was the only centurion, ten more than Kohli’s 22. In a match where Tendulkar also got a century, there were only nine instances where an Indian batter achieved the feat; in contrast, Kohli had thirteen instances where a teammate also achieved the feat.
Tendulkar scored a hundred nine times when no other Indian batsman had even reached fifty, whilst Kohli has amassed eight of these tons. But Kohli had six complete innings, whereas Tendulkar only had five. The India innings ended with the two batsmen tied at six hundred.
Records and Achievements
Sachin Tendulkar
An incredible amount of records and career milestones have been achieved by Sachin Tendulkar.
- He holds the record for the highest run scorer in international cricket, amassing over 34,000 runs.
- He is the First person to score a double century in One Day Internationals.
- Tendulkar is the only player to score one hundred international centuries, a feat that is unlikely to be replicated anytime soon.
- Most Man of the Match (MoM) awards (62). Most Man of the Match awards in World Cup Matches (9)
- Most number of consecutive ODI matches. (He played 185 consecutive matches for India between 25 April 1990 to 24 April 1998.)
- He was the leading run-scorer in World Cup history until Kohli surpassed him in 2019.
- Sachin has played ODIs on 90 different grounds across the world, the most by any player.
- Sachin has scored 150+ 20 times in Test cricket.
- Sachin Tendulkar is the only player to have scored 5 Test centuries before the age of 20.
- Tendulkar’s consistency is evident in his 100 international centuries, 49 in ODIs, and 51 in Tests. These records reflect the sheer longevity and dominance he displayed over his illustrious career.
Despite his legendary stature, Tendulkar’s tenure as captain of India was not without controversy. Although he continued to have outstanding individual performances, the Indian team’s outcomes under his captaincy were not always favorable. Tendulkar captained India at different times, yet he was never able to win a World Cup. Unlike some other leaders, he was not as outspoken or conspicuous, preferring to lead by example.
Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli has already made history, even if he isn’t done playing yet.
- Fastest to reach 8,000, 9,000, 10,000, and 11,000 runs in ODIs.
- Before Rohit Sharma broke it, Kohli had the record for the quickest century by an Indian in the ODIs.
- Kohli has been consistently ranked as the world’s top ODI batsman. He has been at the forefront of India’s successful campaigns in limited-overs cricket.
- First Indian cricketer to score three successive centuries in ODIs.
- Virat Kohli scored his 49th ODI century in just 277 innings while Sachin Tendulkar took 452 innings to score his 49th ODI century.
- Six double-centuries as a captain in test matches.
- Only Indian cricketers to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy in successive years. (2017, 2018)
- The only batter to average 50 or above in all three formats simultaneously.
On the other hand, the captain of the Chase Master has been more outspoken and combative. India’s victories under his captaincy are a testament to his enthusiasm for the game and his capacity to inspire his group. India’s triumph in the Test series against Australia was spearheaded by Kohli, who has also been a major factor in the team’s limited-overs success. His expectations of his teammates’ performance and his unwavering determination define his approach to captaincy.
Test results are one area where Tendulkar and Kohli diverge significantly. While Kohli has a wonderful record in ODI and T20 cricket, he has been far less successful in the longest version of the game than Tendulkar, who had an incredible Test record of 51 hundred. This illustrates how the dynamics of cricket are evolving, with shorter overs formats receiving more attention these days.
Sachin Tendulkar vs Virat Kohli: Who is better?
Comparing Virat Kohli with Sachin Tendulkar is unfair because both have had a profound influence on Indian cricket, albeit in different ways.
The influence of Tendulkar is generational. His longevity and performances served as an inspiration to a whole generation of cricket players. He was a source of pride for the country, a beacon of achievement, and hope for new cricketers. His accomplishments and records formed a crucial part of the history of Indian cricket. An era came to an end with his retirement.
Conversely, Kohli embodies the modern face of Indian cricket. The team’s shift from the Tendulkar-Dravid-Laxman era to a more aggressive and goal-oriented type of cricket has been largely attributed to him. For the Indian team, Kohli’s tenacity and work ethic have raised the bar for fielding and fitness. He’s been a driving force behind the ascent of Indian fast bowlers, bringing in a new age of tactically sound and powerful bowling.
