India is a country that is always wealthy in batting talent. KL Rahul and Virat Kohli are two of the precious gems available. The whole world conflicts to an extent with KL Rahul vs Virat Kohli, who is the better batsman at present.
With KL Rahul uplifting his all-format game to the next level, people have started comparing him to the all-time greats like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. KL Rahul vs Virat Kohli is as relevant a question in the present day as Rohit Sharma vs Virat Kohli. Especially in the T20 format, KL Rahul has earned the tag of India’s best batsman.
In this article, the stats of KL Rahul vs Virat Kohli will be analyzed in depth. Finally, a conclusion will be made on who is better in KL Rahul vs Virat Kohli duel. The comparison parameters are listed as:
KL Rahul vs Virat Kohli Batting Position
KL Rahul (Age: 31yrs)
Rahul with his exceptional batting performances over the last few years has cemented his spot in the Test and ODI formats. Whereas in the ODIs Rohit Sharma still holds his place in the team as an opener. Thus KL is preferred to be the middle-order batsman in ODIs.
Virat Kohli (Age: 35yrs)
Virat has been one of the most successful No. 3s in white-ball cricket the game has ever witnessed. His records in that position in limited-overs cricket are phenomenal.
KL Rahul vs Virat Kohli in Test Matches
Captain Kohli has been the backbone of the Indian team over the last decade. His exceptional performance in Test Cricket all over the globe has made him an all-time great. KL Rahul has been in and out of the squad since his debut against Australia at the MCG. He could never fix himself in the squad because him being hot and cold. Finding a place in place of wicket-keeper, Rahul excelled in the recently concluded Test series in England. But after that match he ruled out due to an injury
KL Rahul vs Virat Kohli in Tests | Statistical Comparison
| STATISTICS | VIRAT KOHLI | KL RAHUL |
|---|---|---|
| MATCHES | 113 | 50 |
| INNINGS | 191 | 86 |
| RUNS | 8848 | 2863 |
| BEST | 254* | 199 |
| AVERAGE | 49.16 | 34.08 |
| STRIKE RATE | 55.56 | 52.23 |
| 200’s | 7 | 0 |
| 100’s | 29 | 8 |
| 50’s | 30 | 14 |
Highlights:
- The above stats suggest that Virat Kohli is way ahead of KL Rahul in terms of Test Records.
- Virat has more than 8000 runs in Tests whereas Rahul lies close to 3000s.
- The average of Kohli is also way above KL. Kohli has an average of 49 to Rahul’s 34.
- Virat has 29 centuries as compared to 8 from Rahul.
- Virat has 7 double centuries. Rahul is yet to have one with 199 being his personal best in Tests.
Also Read: All Centuries of KL Rahul | Tests, ODIs, T20Is & IPL
KL Rahul vs Virat Kohli in ODIs
Virat Kohli is arguably the best ODI batsman in the world for the last decade. An exceptional average of close to 60 keeps Virat miles ahead of any other modern-day batsman. Virat has been a part of the “Fab 4” with Kane Williamson, Joe Root, and Steve Smith being the other 3. Among the “Fab 4”, none of the others could pose a match to Virat in ODI records. On the other hand, KL Rahul has been quite unfortunate as he couldn’t find a spot in his preferred opening position due to a well-settled Rohit-Gill pair. He has been experimented with sometimes as an opener, a finisher, or even as a proper middle order. He also featured in a few matches as a wicketkeeper-batsman in place of Rishabh Pant. Presently, he has been considered as a No. 4 coming to bat after Rohit, Gill, and Kohli.
KL Rahul vs Virat Kohli in ODIs | Statistical Comparison
| STATISTICS | VIRAT KOHLI | KL RAHUL |
|---|---|---|
| MATCHES | 292 | 75 |
| INNINGS | 280 | 70 |
| RUNS | 13848 | 2820 |
| BEST | 183 | 112 |
| AVERAGE | 58.68 | 50.36 |
| STRIKE RATE | 93.59 | 87.82 |
| 200’s | 0 | 0 |
| 100’s | 50 | 18 |
| 50’s | 72 | 7 |
Highlights:
- It is clear from the above table that Virat and KL aren’t comparable with overall career stats in ODIs.
- Virat has 13848 runs in ODIs whereas Rahul lies in the 2820 mark.
- The average of Kohli is above KL. Kohli has an average of 59 to Rahul’s 52.
- Virat has 50 centuries as compared to 7 from Rahul.
- While Virat is a giant in ODI cricket, Rahul might be a giant in the making if given a well-defined role. At least his recent performances indicate so.
KL Rahul vs Virat Kohli in T20Is
This is a format where KL Rahul is said to be the best Indian batsman. An extensive range of proper cricketing shots brings consistency along with destruction in his batting. Within a short time, he has become the biggest match-winner for India when it comes to T20 cricket. Kohli doesn’t lag either. There is no one better than Virat when it comes to consistency. Even though he doesn’t have a wide range of shots, he has his own established way of playing T20 cricket. He takes the anchor role for India with the power hitters smashing around him.
KL Rahul vs Virat Kohli in T20Is | Statistical Comparison
| STATISTICS | VIRAT KOHLI | KL RAHUL |
|---|---|---|
| MATCHES | 117 | 72 |
| INNINGS | 109 | 68 |
| RUNS | 4073 | 2265 |
| BEST | 122* | 110 |
| AVERAGE | 51.76 | 37.75 |
| STRIKE RATE | 138.16 | 139.13 |
| 100’s | 37 | 22 |
| 50’s | 1 | 2 |
Highlights:
- The T20I stats of Virat Kohli and KL Rahul are much closer to each other than that of Test and ODIs. In a shorter career, Rahul has almost matched Kohli’s level and is even moving further with time.
- Kohli has 4037 runs in 117 matches while KL has scored 12265 runs in 68 matches.
- Kohli has a massive average of 50+ in T20Is while Rahul possesses a decent average of 38.
- The average shows that Kohli leads inconsistently but the strike rate shows that KL has his noses ahead in firepower.
- Rahul has 2 T20I hundreds as compared to one from Virat.
- Keeping the current form in mind, KL looks to be ahead of Virat in terms of T20 gameplay.
KL Rahul vs Virat Kohli in IPL
Since the emergence of KL Rahul as captain of LSG, he has been the standout performer. In the 3 editions of the tournament that he has captained for Punjab, he has scored 659, 593 & 670 runs respectively. The extra responsibility of leadership has made him evolve as a batsman. After 3 highly successful seasons as captain, it would be fair to say that currently, he is the best Indian player in the IPL. He plays for LSG at present, and is the only Indian batter to hit more than 500 runs in five straight IPL seasons (2018-2022). On the other hand, after a sublime 973 runs season in 2016, Virat Kohli has been under-par by his standards. He has had 639, 341, 405, 466 & 464 runs in the last five seasons respectively which doesn’t justify his quality.
KL Rahul vs Virat Kohli in IPL | Statistical Comparison
| STATISTICS | VIRAT KOHLI | KL RAHUL |
|---|---|---|
| MATCHES | 242 | 122 |
| INNINGS | 234 | 113 |
| RUNS | 7579 | 4289 |
| BEST | 113* | 132* |
| AVERAGE | 38.28 | 46.12 |
| STRIKE RATE | 130.63 | 134.24 |
| 100’s | 52 | 34 |
| 50’s | 8 | 4 |
Highlights:
- Statistically, Rahul beats Kohli by quite a margin given IPL stats.
- Rahul has scored 4289 runs in 122 matches while Virat has 7579 runs in 242 matches.
- Rahul has an outstanding average of 46.12 which is a long way above Kohli’s at 38.28.
- Rahul also has a slightly better strike rate as compared to Virat which declares his supremacy over Kohli in the tournament.
Expert Opinions on Virat Kohli
Sourav Ganguly, the BCCI President said, “As of now, Virat Kohli is the Greatest Batsman in the world.”
Viv Richards, the West Indies legend had spoken, “I love watching Virat Kohli bat. I love his aggression and serious passion that I used to have. He reminds me of myself.”
Kumar Sangakkara said, “Virat Kohli is the best shorter version batsman that I have ever seen. He’s been an absolute genius.”
Expert Opinions on KL Rahul
Akash Chopra believes, “In my view, KL Rahul is currently the best T20 batsman in India.”
Harbhajan Singh called on-air, “KL Rahul is India’s Mr. 360 AB de Villiers.”
Final Words
Virat Kohli has already been to the level to be among the best players the game has ever produced. On the other hand, KL Rahul has a relatively younger career compared to Kohli. He has reached his career peak form and is in line to be an all-time great. But he has to continue his golden form for quite a few years to reach even close to Virat’s achievements.