How Virat Kohli measures against Sachin Tendulkar, AB de Villiers and other greats ahead of 200th ODI?

The table comparing the greats illustrates Virat Kohli's greatness in this format.

Once upon a time, India often ended on the doorstep defeats than victories. Sachin Tendulkar’s arrival gradually changed things. India still did not win a lot. The 90s’ kids have memories of treasuring their Diwali firecrackers and saving some for India wins. A home series would see some of them bursting, but if India were touring overseas, the crackers’ isolation would result them in being damp.

Virat Kohli has always supported a cracker-free Diwali. With his batting he ensures the demand for crackers wouldn’t be met or rather they wouldn’t be able to afford.

Here’s India’s run across formats since the start of 2016-17 season that saw them attain peak positions in Tests and ODIs:

Formats	M	W	L	D/NR	Success
Tests	16	13	1	2	81.25%
ODIs	28	20	7	1	74.07%
T20Is	7	4	3	0	57.14%

Glad, crackers aren’t preserved for India wins these days or there would have been more climate summits irrespective. Kohli has set his voyage to become India’s most successful captain, and there is no iota of doubt that he has led from the front thus far.

During this phase, he has scored 1,413 runs at over 64 in Tests. He has been slightly off colour in T20Is. The average of 32.5 in these seven matches is something for mortals and greats. His career average is 20 points higher. However, Kohli has maintained a strike rate in excess of 142.33.

But he has marked ODIs as his territory. His average propels to 81.84. In the past one year, he has amassed 1,555 runs at a strike rate touching 100. Add five centuries to the mix. He is at level with Ricky Ponting’s 30 ODI hundreds, the second-most in this format.

Ponting, a great of the game, has played 375 ODIs. In contrast, the Indian skipper has played 199. This is about Kohli’s 200th ODI.

Judging the current numbers it is safe to argue Kohli’s case as the greatest ODI player. Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers threat the title in modern times. Kohli may just edge them out in terms of versatility despite Amla’s consistency and AB’s impact.

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Comparisons of Kohli with Tendulkar and Viv Richards will not be fair when you consider the eras. Super bats, smaller grounds, inferior bowlers and T20 cricket have propelled scoring in ODIs. The argument finds basis in the fact that it took almost four decades for the first double-century to be registered in this format. And this decade has already seen six.

Also, knowing Kohli’s susceptibility with the red ball outside off-stump, we will never know how he would have fared in day ODIs with the red ball. The conditions in England or New Zealand would have been completely different. Red-ball ODIs were very much active till 2000.

On Sunday, Kohli will become the 14th Indian player to the 200-ODI mark. Let us compare Kohli’s numbers with other great ODI batters (in no order) when they headed to this milestone match.

Players	Year	M	R	HS	Ave	SR	100s	50s
Sachin Tendulkar (1989-2012)	1998	199	7,303	143	41.97	85.7	18	43
Kumar Sangakkara (2000-15)	2007	199	5,772	138*	36.07	74.3	6	39
Ricky Ponting (1995-2012)	2004	199	7,245	145	42.61	77.8	15	41
Sanath Jayasuriya (1989-2011)	2000	199	5,242	151*	28.48	90.3	7	35
Inzamam-ul-Haq (1991-2007)	1999	199	6,475	137*	39.48	72.8	6	47
Jacques Kallis (1996-2014)	2004	199	7,110	139	45.57	71.0	12	49
Sourav Ganguly (1992-2007)	2002	199	7,747	183	43.03	73.7	18	46
Rahul Dravid (1996-2011)	2003	199	6,242	153	38.29	68.2	8	42
Brian Lara (1990-2007)	2002	199	7,370	169	42.60	78.5	14	48
T Dilshan (1999-2016)	2011	199	5,242	160	35.65	87.7	9	21
MS Dhoni (2004 – )	2012	199	6,632	183*	51.41	88.3	7	44
Adam Gilchrist (1996-2008)	2005	199	6,685	172	35.74	94.6	10	39
Desmond Haynes (1978-94)	1992	199	7,431	152*	42.70	63.3	16	45
AB de Villiers (2005 – )	2016	199	8,621	162*	54.56	100.2	24	48
Saeed Anwar (1989-2003)	2000	199	7,054	194	38.97	82.4	17	33
Mark Waugh (1988-2002)	2000	199	6,978	130	38.76	77.2	13	44
Virender Sehwag (1999-2013)	2009	199	6,287	130	33.62	100.3	10	33
M Yousuf (1998-2010)	2005	199	6,719	141*	41.22	75.2	11	43
Javed Miandad (1975-96)	1992	199	6,623	119*	43.86	68.2	7	47
Chris Gayle (1999- )	2009	199	7,290	153*	40.27	82.5	19	38
Michael Bevan (1994-2004)	2003	199	6,028	108*	54.80	74.4	6	39
Virat Kohli (2008 – )	2017	199	8,767	183	55.13	91.5	30	45

The numbers tell the story, doesn’t it? Yes, Kohli’s dominance is well reflected.

At this stage of career, Kohli had twice the hundreds Ponting had and five times more than what Michael Bevan had. Take the average and strike rate into consideration; de Villiers can be rated the best of the lot. But to Kohli’s defence he always doesn’t have to go ballistic. He thrives better under pressure and has more fifty-plus scores at this stage.

Interesting stories from the table

Sourav Ganguly has his doubters. The theory goes that his technique falls greatly to short-pitched bowling. Despite that, at this stage of career, his numbers read better than Tendulkar’s, except the strike rate.

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Interesting to note is, only two batsmen in this illustrious list have entered their 200th ODI with a strike rate in excess of 100. Sehwag is an obvious and the other man is AB.

Also, heading into the 200th ODI, Tendulkar had just gone past Desmond Haynes’ tally of 17 hundreds. He continued to hold the world record for most centuries from thereon.

Kohli’s 200th ODI

TRENDING NOW

On Sunday, thousands of noisy spectators will queue up outside Wankhede to witness the game. India will be up against New Zealand, who are at the fifth spot in the ICC ODI Rankings. Last year, India affected a 3-2 defeat and the damage could be more this year. All hopes are pinned on Kohli’s record 31st hundred.