MS Dhoni vs Virat Kohli
MS Dhoni vs Virat Kohli is a common debate between the fans of the two of the greates cricketers to ever play the game. While MS Dhoni has been the most successful captain in Indian cricket with an immense record of wins & trophies, Virat Kohli has been one of the most successful & in-form cricketers in world cricket.
While both cricketers have played their respective roles very well, when it comes to the Kohli vs Dhoni debate, their captaincy approach & records are often under scrutiny. Nevertheless, they both are among the favorites of fantasy cricket players around the world due to their skills on the field.
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Personal Info of Dhoni and Kohli
|
Details |
MS Dhoni |
Virat Kohli |
|---|---|---|
|
Birthdate |
July 07, 1981 |
November 05, 1988 |
|
Age |
41 years |
34 years |
|
Birth Place |
Ranchi, Bihar (now Jharkhand) |
Delhi |
|
Batting Style |
Right Handed Bat |
Right Handed Bat |
|
Bowling Style |
Right-arm medium |
Right-arm medium |
|
Teams Played For |
India, Asia XI, Chennai (Indian t20 League), Indians, Jharkhand, Pune (Indian t20 League), India A |
India, Delhi, India Red, India U19, Bangalore (Indian t20 League), Board Presidents XI, North Zone, Indians, India A, Asia XI |
Dhoni vs Kohli Stats Comparison
The overall comparison of Kohli and Dhoni in different formats of cricket are:
Dhoni vs Kohli in Test
In the purest form of the game, which is considered the true test of a cricketer’s talent, let’s see how Dhoni & Kohli compare:
|
Details |
MS Dhoni |
Virat Kohli |
|---|---|---|
|
Matches Played |
90 |
108 |
|
Innings Played |
144 |
183 |
|
Total Runs |
4876 |
8416 |
|
Highest Score |
224 |
254 |
|
Not Outs |
16 |
11 |
|
Average Runs |
38.09 |
48.93 |
|
Balls Faced |
8248 |
15211 |
|
Strike Rate |
59.12 |
55.33 |
|
4s |
544 |
941 |
|
6s |
78 |
24 |
|
Half Centuries (50s) |
33 |
28 |
|
Centuries (100s) |
6 |
28 |
|
Double Centuries (200s) |
1 |
7 |
If we observe closely, the batting statistics are skewed in favour of Virat Kohli. This goes to show that in obvious terms Kohli is the better batsman. But, if we look closely at the catches record which is overlooked here, it will show that Dhoni has 256 catches to his name while Virat only has 96. But that is not a number to show any considerable difference because Dhoni is a wicket-keeper & Kohli is an outfielder.
Dhoni vs Kohli in ODI
In the 50-over format of the game, Dhoni & Kohli are pretty evenly matched. So let’s have a look at how their individual stats compare:
|
Details |
MS Dhoni |
Virat Kohli |
|---|---|---|
|
Matches Played |
350 |
274 |
|
Innings Played |
297 |
265 |
|
Total Runs |
10773 |
12898 |
|
Highest Score |
183 |
183 |
|
Not Outs |
84 |
40 |
|
Average Runs |
50.58 |
57.32 |
|
Balls Faced |
12303 |
13776 |
|
Strike Rate |
87.56 |
93.63 |
|
4s |
826 |
1211 |
|
6s |
229 |
139 |
|
Half Centuries (50s) |
73 |
65 |
|
Centuries (100s) |
10 |
46 |
|
Double Centuries (200s) |
0 |
0 |
In this comparison, both cricketers have crossed the 10000-run mark. But if we look closely at the numbers then Virat has slightly better stats. But, we have to consider that at most times Virat has always batted at number 3, which means he has had the opportunity to face more deliveries. MS Dhoni on the other hand comes to bat at 6 or 7, most times under huge pressure of finishing the match with a positive result. Therefore in ODIs Virat is the better batsman again, but Dhoni is the better finisher & has an immense record as well.
Dhoni vs Kohli in T20
The shortest format of the game again sees the numbers skewed in favour of Virat Kohli in the Kohli vs Dhoni comparison:
|
Details |
MS Dhoni |
Virat Kohli |
|---|---|---|
|
Matches Played |
98 |
115 |
|
Innings Played |
85 |
107 |
|
Total Runs |
1617 |
4008 |
|
Highest Score |
56 |
122 |
|
Not Outs |
42 |
31 |
|
Average Runs |
37.6 |
52.74 |
|
Balls Faced |
1282 |
2905 |
|
Strike Rate |
126.13 |
137.97 |
|
4s |
116 |
356 |
|
6s |
52 |
117 |
|
Half Centuries (50s) |
2 |
37 |
|
Centuries (100s) |
0 |
1 |
|
Double Centuries (200s) |
0 |
0 |
Even though the numbers heavily favour Virat Kohli in the T20 format of the game. MS Dhoni is more known for his captaincy & number of wins in this format of the game. He has captained India to a T20 World Cup victory.
Dhoni vs Kohli in Indian T20 League
The Indian T20 League numbers are good for Virat Kohli as always, but Dhoni betters him on the average part. Let’s see how they compare first:
|
Details |
MS Dhoni |
Virat Kohli |
|---|---|---|
|
Matches Played |
241 |
230 |
|
Innings Played |
211 |
222 |
|
Total Runs |
5039 |
6903 |
|
Highest Score |
84 |
113 |
|
Not Outs |
83 |
33 |
|
Average Runs |
39.37 |
36.52 |
|
Balls Faced |
3713 |
5326 |
|
Strike Rate |
135.71 |
129.61 |
|
4s |
348 |
603 |
|
6s |
235 |
229 |
|
Half Centuries (50s) |
24 |
48 |
|
Centuries (100s) |
0 |
5 |
|
Double Centuries (200s) |
0 |
0 |
Kohli’s numbers again take precedence over Dhoni’s, but we have to keep in mind that Dhoni has won 4 titles with his franchise Chennai. Kohli is yet to win an Indian T20 League title with Bangalore. Kohli has also recently left captaincy for Banglore.
So, Who is Better Batsman – Dhoni or Kohli?
If we consider the overall record, Virat Kohli wins this comparison hands down. He is by far the most successful batsman of the current generation. The current Indian team captain is ranked 6th in Tests in the ICC rankings & is ranked number 2 in ODIs. His current T20 rank is 11th on the ICC rankings.
MS Dhoni vs Virat Kohli Captaincy Stats
The captaincy record heavily favours Dhoni because of the major tournaments that India has won under his leadership. Let’s see how they compare in the different formats:
In Test
Virat Kohli has surpassed Dhoni’s number and win percentage as captain in the longest format of the game.
|
Stat |
MS Dhoni |
Virat Kohli |
|---|---|---|
|
Matches |
60 |
68 |
|
Wins |
27 |
40 |
|
Losses |
18 |
17 |
|
Draw |
15 |
11 |
|
Tied |
0 |
0 |
|
Abandoned |
0 |
0 |
|
Canceled |
0 |
0 |
|
Win % |
45.00% |
58.82% |
In ODI
In ODI, Virat’s win percentage is more, but Dhoni has led India in more matches & hence more wins. Also, winning two ICC trophies makes Dhoni a better leader. Under MSD India played two world cups & won one, while under Virat India couldn’t go beyond the semi-finals in 2019.
|
Stat |
MS Dhoni |
Virat Kohli |
|---|---|---|
|
Matches |
200 |
68 |
|
Wins |
110 |
40 |
|
Losses |
74 |
17 |
|
Tied |
5 |
0 |
|
Win % |
55.00% |
58.82% |
In T20I
Once more Virat leads the comparison by numbers but, if you look closely you will see that Dhoni has led India in more matches, hence the percentages are still to be justified. MS Dhoni has also led India in all 6 editions of the T20 world cup & won the inaugural edition as well. Kohli’s T20 World Cup run was poor as India crashed out of the group stages in 2021.
|
Stat |
MS Dhoni |
Virat Kohli |
|---|---|---|
|
Matches |
72 |
50 |
|
Wins |
41 |
30 |
|
Losses |
28 |
16 |
|
Tied |
1 |
2 |
|
No Result |
2 |
2 |
|
Win % |
56.94% |
60.00% |
In Indian T20 League
MS Dhoni is considered the most successful captain in the Indian T20 League. He has captained & led his franchise to win 9 finals so far. Chennai has also won 4 titles under his leadership, while Virat has only managed one runner-up finish with Bangalore in 2016.
|
Stat |
MS Dhoni |
Virat Kohli |
|
Matches |
217 |
142 |
|
Wins |
128 |
66 |
|
Losses |
88 |
69 |
|
Tied |
0 |
3 |
|
No Result |
1 |
4 |
|
Win % |
58.99% |
46.48% |
More Player Stats
| Rohit Sharma vs MS Dhoni | Virat Kohli vs AB Devilliers |
| Rohit Sharma vs Virat Kohli | Babar Azam vs Virat Kohli |
| Virat Kohli vs Sachin Tendulkar | Babar Azam vs Rohit Sharma |
