These are the two behemoths we are talking about. Two batters who have a secured place in the history of world cricket. Rohit Sharma. Virat Kohli.
One is an incredibly talented and gifted batsman – in my opinion, the most talented Indian batsman to make his debut in the 2000s decade. The other, hailed as the greatest all-format batter, someone who has worked harder on his game and fitness than perhaps anyone has over the past couple of decades.
Who has scored more runs in T20Is? Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli
When it comes to T20 cricket, the jury is still out there to debate. First of all – the runs: Rohit Sharma is currently the leading T20I run-scorer with 3487 runs in 124 innings at an average of 32; Virat Kohli is third on the list – after Martin Guptill – having amassed 3308 runs in 91 innings at a staggering average – and much better than both Rohit and Guptill’s – of 50. Kohli’s average is also boosted by the fact that he’s remained not out in 25 innings, to Rohit’s 16.
Rohit Sharma slightly edges ahead in terms of strike rate. And is way ahead in terms of centuries in T20Is: his 4 to Kohli’s none; while some may argue that Rohit opens the inning so has the best chance to reach the three-figure score, often Kohli has come into the innings after fall of an early Indian wicket.
Virat Kohli also has 7 innings between the scores of 80 and 94* (his T20I highest), so he’s come within distance of a three-figure score in T20Is, but couldn’t reach it.
Kohli, though, has thumped 5 IPL centuries – all while opening the batting, so there’s something to think – while Rohit has a solitary IPL ton. In the IPL, the former RCB captain is leading the run charts with 6624 runs while the MI skipper is 745 runs behind him with both having played almost similar number of matches.
There is no comparison when it comes to six-hitting: Rohit has walloped 443 maximums in T20s while Kohli has cracked 331; but Kohli has 947 fours to Rohit’s 919.
Rohit Sharma’s IPL trophy tally is uncatchable by Virat Kohli
And then comes the biggest difference of all: titles. This is where Rohit Sharma is miles ahead of Virat Kohli. 5 IPL titles as captain and 6 overall as a player for Sharma – none for Kohli at RCB. Sharma also won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, where he played crucial – proper clutch knocks, as netizens say these days – knocks in that tournament vs South Africa in a must-win group stage encounter and then in the final vs Pakistan, a quickfire cameo that went a long way in helping India a close thriller.
Although Kohli doesn’t have a T20 World title to his name, the superstar batsman was at his peak when he finished as the highest and second highest run-scorer in the 2014 and 2016 T20 World Cups respectively and was the Man of the Tournament both times.
There is still some gas left in both of them as far as T20 cricket is concerned. But, quite possibly, the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia, and the following couple of IPL seasons will give both the batters further opportunities to stake their claim as to who finishes as India’s greatest T20 player.
