Virat Kohli is the best batsman across formats in international cricket: Proven

It is time Virat Kohli is recognised for what he is: the most consistent batsman across formats in international cricket.

Virat Kohli got to his highest Twenty20 International (T20I) score of 90 not out during the first T20I between India and Australia at Adelaide. The innings was Kohli’s fifth 50-plus score (and fourth 90-plus score) in six innings this year. After a disappointing year with the bat in 2015, Kohli is back to his high-scoring ways already. He scored 381 runs in the ODI series with scores of 91, 59, 117, 106, and 8, and has now hit an unbeaten 90 at perhaps his favourite ground in the world — Adelaide. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: India vs Australia 2015-16, 1st T20I at Adelaide

That Kohli is one of the finest batsmen in world cricket is not in doubt; but the numbers show that he is beyond question the best batsman across formats in international cricket. That is a bold statement to make, but the numbers support this entirely. What about Kevin Pietersen, Kumar Sangakkara, or AB de Villiers, one might think; or Kane Williamson, Steven Smith, or Joe Root? Surely they would offer some stern competition?

Some of them do; albeit in one or at most two formats. But when one combines all Test, ODI, and T20I cricket, there is — quite literally — no one as consistent as Kohli in the world. Take, for instance, the case of de Villiers. He is a phenomenal batsman in Tests and ODIs, and is a terrific batsman in T20 cricket as well; and yet his numbers in international T20s are shockingly poor. Despite having scored over 1,000 runs in T20Is, de Villiers averages a sub-standard 22.88.

Let us look at batsmen with at least 500 runs in T20I cricket who average at least 40 in at least two out of the three international formats. Below is a table showing the batting average of the top 10 players who average at least 40 in at least two formats with a minimum cut-off of 500 runs.

The top two players here in terms of cumulative average are Hashim Amla and Sangakkara. Amla has an excellent record in Tests and ODIs, but his T20I average is a lowly 25, while Sangakkara has a disappointing T20I average as well. The third on the list is Kohli, who is the only batsman to average over 40 in all three formats (in fact, a slightly better Test record will give him 45 in all formats). None of the other batsmen who fulfil all criteria come close to Kohli’s record, which is a testament to how good an all-round player he is.

Another thing that should be considered is strike rate, which some would argue is of more significance in T20 cricket than a batting average. For example, having a batsman average 50 in T20Is but at a strike rate of just 100 would not be as useful as having someone with an average of 25 but a strike rate of 200. Given that, here is a table showing the strike rates of these batsmen in ODIs and T20Is:

It should be noted here that while Amla and de Villiers both have wonderful strike rates in ODIs, their corresponding strike rates in T20Is are surprisingly low. In fact, none barring Pietersen, Hussey, and Kohli have a T20I strike rate of more than 130, which is widely regarded as the norm in T20 cricket. Once again, Kohli comes in the top three with the best strike rate. Given that he is among the top three for average as well, it further cements Kohli’s position as international cricket’s most consistent batsman.

Of all T20I batsmen in history with a better average than Kohli, only Matthew Hayden (51.33) and Andrew Symonds (48.14) have 300 runs. Sangakkara, too has retired, while Amla is highly unlikely to improve his T20I average enough for it to cross 40. It would, therefore, be safe to assume that Kohli’s record as T20I cricket’s best batsman is not in immediate danger. Kohli has proven time and again that he can adapt to each format with consummate ease. It is time he is recognised for what he is: the most consistent batsman across formats in international cricket.

(Shiamak Unwalla, a reporter with CricketCountry, is a self-confessed Sci-Fi geek who loves cricket more than cricketers. His Twitter handle is @ShiamakUnwalla)

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