'Kohli was better than Sachin in Tests': AB de Villiers makes huge claim
In a recent statement, AB de Villiers commended Virat Kohli for taking India's Test batting to new heights on foreign soil, following in the footsteps of Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar was the first to show that subcontinent players could thrive in tough situations, but de Villiers argues that Kohli has redefined excellence.
AB de Villiers asserts that Virat Kohli elevated India's overseas Test cricket batting prowess beyond Sachin Tendulkar, who first demonstrated that Indian players could succeed in challenging conditions. After India's 165-run win over Sri Lanka in Galle, de Villiers, Kohli's former teammate at Royal Challengers Bengaluru, spoke on his YouTube channel.
While acknowledging Tendulkar's pioneering role, de Villiers argued Kohli surpassed him as a strong overseas Test batter. Tendulkar remains the all-time leading run-scorer in Tests with 15,921 runs, but Kohli ended his career with 9,230 runs in 123 Tests, ranking 19th in the all-time list. However, Tendulkar leads in performances away from home, scoring 8,705 of his runs in overseas Tests, making up 55% of his total.
Kohli scored 4,774 runs in 66 Tests outside India. In SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia), Tendulkar amassed 5,387 runs in 63 Tests, while Kohli scored 3,661 runs in 46 Tests. De Villiers focused more on Kohli's influence on Indian Test cricket and noted that players like KL Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal are following their paths. Rahul averages only 34 away from home, suggesting he needs to improve to achieve bigger scores.
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