Login
Cricket has seen many legends, but it's rare for one to be titled "King of Cricket." Today, cricket has one master who is cricket's undisputed king due to his record-setting exploits, record-breaking consistency, and fierce competitiveness.
Whether he has smashed those scores with devastating shots or had an inspiring aura around him in captaincy roles, Kohli has reinterpreted greatness in every three formats of the game.
Virat Kohli's international cricket domination earned him this hard-earned title. His extremely aggressive but technically sound batting, chase master, leadership abilities set him apart.
Kohli carries many records currently, including the fastest to 8,000, 9,000, 10,000, and 11,000 ODI scores, surpassing the likes of Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar.
His enthusiasm, physical conditioning, and aggression have transformed modern-day cricket. Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting once stated, "Virat is the most complete batsman of this generation." His ability to thrive in pressure situations, especially while run-chasing, has stamped his reputation as the king.
Kohli's statistics are eloquent. Some of his career-defining performances are 82 (49 balls) against Australia at the 2016 T20 World Cup and 183 (148 balls) against Pakistan in 2012.
He continues to be at the focal point post-2023 as can be gauged from a game-winning 85 of 765 runs for the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Virat Kohli career batting stats
| Format | Matches | Innings | Runs | High Score | Average | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s |
| Test | 123 | 210 | 9230 | 254* | 46.9 | 30 | 31 | 1027 | 30 |
| ODI | 302 | 290 | 14181 | 183 | 57.9 | 51 | 74 | 1325 | 152 |
| T20I | 125 | 117 | 4188 | 122* | 48.7 | 1 | 38 | 369 | 124 |
| IPL | 262 | 254 | 8447 | 113 | 39.5 | 8 | 61 | 744 | 285 |
Tests: Kohli's 9,230 off 46.85 average and 30 centuries say a lot about his determination. There is a hint of aggression with control conveyed by a 55.57 strike rate, while a 45+ overseas average places him above contemporaries Steve Smith for all-format supremacy.
ODIs: Career-best: 14,181 at 57.88, a record 51 hundreds. With a strike rate of 93.34, he revolutionized chasing, overtaking Babar Azam for consistency. His 2011–2023 domination makes him the format's all-time greatest match-winner.
T20Is: 4,188 runs at 48.67 average and 137.7 strike rate prove versatility for him. With only 1 century, 37 half centuries along with game-changing scores, like 2016 World Cup 82*, prove his modern T20 legend.
Compared to Smith (Tests) and Babar (ODIs), Kohli's dominance in all the formats is unparalleled. His ability to excel everywhere, with a mix of soundness of technique and aggression, makes him cricket's undisputed ruler of all ages and conditions.
While Kohli dominates today, legends of the past have enjoyed similar recognition:
Sir Vivian Richards: The first "King" of the 1970s–80s, averaging 47 in Tests, 90.8 strike rate of course.
Sachin Tendulkar: "God of Cricket" due to having scored 100 international centuries
Brian Lara: Holder of the 400* test record and batting giant of the 1990s
Contemporaries Babar Azam (No. 1 ODIs 2023) and Kane Williamson (Test average of 55) might challenge Kohli, but none can equal his consistency of performance for so many years.
