Virat Kohli vs Sachin Tendulkar: Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli are the only two batters with 15,000 ODI runs. Kohli got there much faster. But the full story is more complex than just the speed.
Kohli reached 15,000 during his 139 not out against the West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram. He got there in his 303rd ODI innings. Tendulkar reached the mark in 2007 against South Africa in Belfast. He needed 377 innings. That is a gap of 74 innings. Kohli packed the same amount of runs into far fewer chances.
Look at the runs per innings of Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. After reaching 15,000, Kohli was scoring 49.77 runs every time he batted. Tendulkar was at 39.90. That is about 25 per cent more for Kohli. Their batting averages also differ. Kohli averaged around 59.14. Tendulkar averaged 44.24.
The century numbers show the same pattern. Kohli had 55 centuries in 303 innings. Tendulkar had 41 in 377 innings. That means Kohli scored a hundred about every 5.5 innings. Tendulkar did it about every 9.2 innings.
Sachin Tendulkar Virat Kohli fifty counts are also interesting. Kohli had 79 fifties and 55 hundreds. Tendulkar had 79 fifties and 41 hundreds. So Kohli had 134 scores of fifty or more. Tendulkar had 120. Kohli reached fifty once every 2.26 innings. Tendulkar did it once every 3.14 innings. Kohli also converted more of his fifties into hundreds. He converted about 41 per cent. Tendulkar converted about 34 per cent.
Kohli also faced fewer balls. He needed about 15,950 balls for his first 15,000 runs. Tendulkar needed 17,528. That is 1,578 fewer balls for Kohli. That is more than 263 overs. But the ball difference is about 9 per cent. The innings difference is about 20 per cent. So Kohli did not just bat faster. He made his innings last longer and got more out of each one.
Kohli vs Sachin Centuries
In the Sachin Tendulkar Virat Kohli century race, Tendulkar leads Kohli in total international centuries. Tendulkar has 100, while Kohli has 86. That is a gap of 14. Tendulkar is the only player ever to reach 100 international centuries. Kohli is second on the all-time list.
Virat Kohli vs Sachin Tendulkar: The Century Race
Virat Kohli vs Sachin Tendulkar in Test Cricket
Tendulkar was far ahead in Tests. He scored 51 centuries. Kohli finished with 30. Tendulkar played 200 Tests over 24 years. He made 15,921 runs at an average of 53.78. He still holds the record for most Test centuries and most Test runs.
Kohli retired from Tests in May 2025. He played 123 matches. He scored 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85. He hit 30 hundreds. He also made seven double centuries. That is the most by an Indian captain. He led India to 40 Test wins.
Virat Kohli vs Sachin Tendulkar in ODI Cricket
This is where Kohli has moved ahead. He broke Tendulkar’s record of 49 ODI centuries. Kohli now has 55. That is the world record.
Kohli has scored over 15,109 ODI runs. Only Tendulkar has more, with 18,426. Kohli was the fastest to 15,000 ODI runs. He got there in 303 innings. He also has 10 ODI centuries against Sri Lanka and 10 against West Indies.
Tendulkar still has a strong ODI record. He played 463 matches. He scored 49 centuries. He also hit the first double century in ODI history. He made 200 not out against South Africa in 2010.
Virat Kohli vs Sachin Tendulkar in T20I Cricket
Tendulkar played just one T20I. He scored 10 runs. Kohli played 125 T20Is. He scored 4,188 runs at an average of 48.69. He hit one century. It was a 122 against Afghanistan in the 2022 T20 World Cup. Kohli retired from T20Is after India won the 2024 World Cup.
FAQs
Q. Who reached 15,000 ODI runs faster, Virat Kohli or Sachin Tendulkar?
A. Virat Kohli reached the milestone in 303 innings.
Q. How many ODI centuries does Kohli have?
A. Kohli has 55 ODI centuries.
Q. How many international centuries did Sachin Tendulkar score?
A. Tendulkar scored 100 international centuries.
Q. Who scored more Test centuries?
A. Sachin Tendulkar scored 51, while Kohli scored 30.
Q. How many T20I runs did Virat Kohli score?
A. Kohli scored 4,188 runs in T20Is.
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