'Virat Kohli was better than Sachin Tendulkar in Tests': AB de Villiers makes huge claim

Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers has made a bold claim stating that Virat Kohli outperformed Sachin Tendulkar in Test cricket overseas. De Villiers, who played alongside Kohli during his time with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, made this observation following India's 165-run win against Sri Lanka in Galle. While acknowledging Tendulkar's groundbreaking role in showing Indian batters could thrive in difficult overseas conditions, De Villiers argued that Kohli took it a step further in establishing himself as an exceptional overseas Test batter.

De Villiers made these remarks on his YouTube channel, praising Kohli's influence on Indian Test cricket and noting that players like KL Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal have continued this trend. However, the article also highlights that Tendulkar remains the highest run-scorer in Test cricket with 15,921 runs in 200 matches, while Kohli ended his career with 9,230 runs in 123 Tests.

The comparison indicates that Tendulkar holds the edge when it comes to performances away from home, especially in SENA countries like South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia. De Villiers' assessment emphasizes Kohli's wider impact on Indian Test cricket, as his tenure saw India establish itself as a formidable side overseas, setting higher expectations for performances outside home conditions.