Virat Kohli vs Sachin Tendulkar at 36: Which batting icon faired better? Stats decoded

Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli are two stalwarts of Indian cricket and two of the greatest batters the country has ever produced. Both have significantly contributed not just to the success of Team India but also to the global cricket by setting unparalleled standards and reinventing the art of batting across all formats of the game. Tendulkar and Kohli have been batting mainstays for Team India in two different eras and their brilliant performances have inspired the next generation of cricketers. 

Despite Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli having become legends of the game in their own right, two have often been compared due to their splendid records, match-winning performances, and their ability to step up for the team when they were needed the most. Kohli has been in the news off late due to his lacklustre performance in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy and thus, the debate reignited who is the best batter among Kohli and Tendulkar. 

Let’s take a look at how both batters fared at the age of 36

Most runs scored 

Sachin Tendulkar played 609 matches for India and amassed 31055 runs at the age of 36. In Tests, the legendary batter scored 13447 runs, while he aggregated 17598 runs in ODI cricket. He also played one T20I match, where he scored just 10 runs. In November 2009, Tendulkar achieved the historic feat of becoming the first and only till date to amass 30,000 in  international cricket. He accomplished this milestone during the first Test between India and Sri Lanka at Motera Stadium. 

Virat Kohli, on the other hand, played 543 and aggregated 27324 runs at the age. The right-handed batter has amassed 9230 runs in Tests, while he scored 13906 runs in ODIs. Kohli has a brilliant record in T20Is, amassing 4188 in 125 matches before retiring from the format at the international level following India’s T20 World Cup triumph last year. Kohli has the best ODI batting average of 58.18, whereas Tendulkar averaged 45.12 at the same age. Also, Virat Kohli holds the record for being the fastest player to score 10,000 runs in ODI cricket. 

Most Centuries 

At the age of 36, Sachin Tendulkar scored a record 93 centuries across all formats of the game. In Tests, the former India captain registered 47 tons, while scoring 46 centuries in the ODIs. Tendulkar was just seven centuries shy of completing a record 100 centuries, which he achieved during the Asia Cup match against Bangladesh in March 2012. He also went on to become the first player to register 50 Test centuries, achieving the milestone during the match against South Africa at Centurion in December 2010. 

While, Virat Kohli is yet nowhere to Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of centuries he recorded at the age of 36. However, the batting legend surpassed his predecessor’s record of 49 ODI centuries, making him the first batter to register 50 centuries in the format. Kohli achieved this feat during the ODI World Cup 2023 semifinal match against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium. In Tests, Virat Kohli has 30 centuries, with the latest coming in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth. In T20Is, the former India skipper scored only a century, which came against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup in 2022. Currently, Kohli has 81 international centuries under his belt and needs 20 more centuries to break Tendulkar’s record. 

Away Record 

Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli have always enjoyed playing away from home and adapting to different overseas conditions, especially in SENA nations. Tendulkar amassed 18515 runs, including 54 centuries, at an average of 47.71 in 379 matches. In Tests, the legendary batter scored 7429 runs, while he amassed 11,076 runs in ODI cricket. Sachin Tendulkar holds the Indian record for the most double Test centuries (5) scored and record for the international centuries (58) scored overseas. 

On the other hand, Virat Kohli has aggregated 15,143 runs, including 43 centuries, at an average of 48.84 in 320 matches. Kohli is far from bettering Sachin Tendulkar’s away record across two formats of the game, Tests and ODIs at the age of 36. In Tests, Virat Kohli has scored 4894 runs, while he piled up 7638 runs in the shorter format. The batting legend has performed well in the T20Is in overseas conditions, aggregating 2611 runs, including a century and 2 fifties, at an average of 47.47 in 79 matches. 

Virat Kohli’s adaptability across all formats of the game is unquestionable, but Sachin Tendulkar’s dominance in overseas conditions remains unparalleled. 

Who fared better between Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli? 

Comparing Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli at the age of 36. It is very much clear that two legends of the game have excelled and contributed to cricket in their own unique ways. Tendulkar was one of the outstanding players of his time, with his legacy standing out for his sheer volume of centuries and runs in an era marked by challenging conditions, tough bowlers and non-assistance of technological advancements, like Decision Review System (DRS), which became prevalent in Kohli’s era. 

Virat Kohli, on the other hand, has been a trendsetter in modern-cricket, amassing runs across all formats of the game. His dominance in white-ball cricket, coupled with his ability to contribute significantly to the Test format, made him evolve as the greatest cricketer in the modern era. Sachin Tendulkar’s legacy remains as the ‘God of Cricket’, while Virat Kohli earned ‘King of Cricket’ as he continues to achieve greatness just like how the form did during his playing days despite having a plethora of achievements under their belt. 

Can Virat Kohli break Sachin Tendulkar's record for most international runs and centuries? 

Virat Kohli is currently going throught a lean patch, which was very much evident during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In Tests, the 36-year-old need to regain his lost form in order to inch closer to Sachin Tendulkar's monumental records. While, in ODI cricket, Kohli has been consistently performing well over the years. Breaking Tendulkar's record of 100 international centuries look like huge task as Kohli has to score 6 centuries each year, pretending that the right-handed has three years of cricket left. Sachin Tendulkar's 34,357 international runs is a mammoth record to break, given that Kohli must score over 2500 runs annually for the next three years. 

Virat Kohli is the fourth-leading run-scorer in international cricket with 27324 runs and also, he is 96 runs short of becoming the fourth batter after Sachin Tendukar and Kumar Sangakkara to complete 14000 runs in ODIs.