Is Virat Kohli the ODI (batting) GOAT?

Does this feat make Virat Kohli the greatest of all time (GOAT) in ODIs? There are no simple answers to this question, and comparing players from different eras is not easy.

In the GOAT conversation

For the purposes of this analysis, we look at five ODI greats (including Kohli), each with a somewhat different case to be the GOAT.

There are some notable omissions on this list, namely Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakara, India’s MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, and Australia’s Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, and Michael Bevan. Also, this does not take into account a player’s bowling numbers so South Africa’s Jacques Kallis misses out. This list also does not take into account women’s cricket, which has seen some fantastic batters over the years.

Viv Richards, West Indies, 1975-91

Sir Viv was arguably the first great limited-overs batter, simply miles ahead of anyone else from his era. During the course of Richards’ career (1975-91), four batters — Lance Cairns (104.88), Wasim Akram (101.17), Kapil Dev (100), and Ian Smith (96.77) — scored at a rate faster than Sir Viv (minimum 50 innings batted). None of them averaged above 27.

He was the lynchpin of the West Indies side which dominated ODI cricket at the time, scoring 1,013 runs in 23 games at an average of 63.31 in World Cups (4 editions). Only New Zealand’s Kane Williamson (63.66) is ahead of him in terms of average in World Cups (min 1000 runs).

Richards’ GOAT case relies simply on how far ahead he was from his competition — so far ahead that his record still holds up when compared to batters playing today.

Sir Viv Richards. (Twitter/@ivivianrichards)

Sachin Tendulkar, India, 1989-2012

Sustained excellence – two words which define Tendulkar’s career. As cricket changed radically around him, he remained among the best batters in the world (if not the best) for well over two decades. When he started playing, the late Dean Jones was arguably the best ODI batter. When he retired, that crown lay with Hashim Amla.

At his peak, Tendulkar was extremely aggressive while being supremely consistent. Too often he was the lone ranger in a faltering Indian team. From 1994 to 2003, he made 11,006 runs at an average of 48.5 and strike rate of 89. At the same time, all the players batting with him averaged 31.4 with a strike rate just above 80.

Tendulkar was a perfect mix of aggression and consistency. The sheer length of time during which he dominated, the quality of bowling he often had to face, and the burden of a nation’s hopes and dreams which he single-handedly carried on his shoulders, make his case for being the GOAT.

Sachin Tendulkar celebrates a century as Ricky Ponting looks on. (PTI Photo/File)

Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka, 1989-2011

In isolation, Jayasuriya’s stats are impressive, but not GOAT level. He played a lot of games and hence scored a lot of runs, and made a lot of centuries. However, his average is on the lower side, especially to be the GOAT. What this misses, however, is how he got his runs.

Fielding restrictions in the first ten overs were introduced in the 1992 World Cup. Yet, batters remained conservative — play safely up front, consolidate wickets, and up the ante in the death overs was the prevailing method. Jayasuriya made a mockery of this. He would effortlessly loft the ball over the infield, and put his team at a commanding position early on.

Perhaps the peak of this approach came in the 1996 World Cup. 16 batters scored more runs than Jayasuriya (221) in the tournament. Yet, it was the southpaw who had the greatest impact, with a strike rate of over 130. His Man of the Tournament contributions helped the little-fancied Sri Lanka win the World Cup, scripting one of cricket’s greatest underdog stories of all time.

Sanath Jayasuriya. (REUTERS/File)

From openers such as Virender Sehwag to Quinton de Kock, all can thank Jayasuriya for paving the way — and that is why he has a case to be the GOAT.

AB de Villiers, South Africa, 2005-2011

All the players in this list mostly batted in the top three positions — except AB de Villiers, who batted at number 4 or below in 169 of his 218 innings. That is why his numbers are even more phenomenal than they first appear.

Whether his team needed to accelerate or weather an early storm, de Villiers was the man for all situations. He blocked when needed and absolutely destroyed bowlers when the time came. Seven batters in history have scored at a rate faster than AB (min 100 innings) — none have come within 10 of his average of 53.5. Moreover, what set de Villiers apart was the way he scored his runs — AB could hit a six over the wicket keeper’s head as easily as over long on.

De Villiers’ GOAT case rests on his immense versatility in style of play, and unseen-before range of shots. In many ways, he was the player who brought ODI cricket into its present era — where no total is too small, and no part of the ground unbreachable.

AB de Villiers. (Express photo by Jaipal Singh/File)

Virat Kohli, India, 2008-present

In terms of technique, Kohli is not the best player of all time. He is also not the most aggressive. Kohli’s GOAT case rests on one single thing — he has perfected the art of batting in a 50-over game. You put Kohli in any game situation, he figures out exactly what is needed for his team to win. In fact, he has led his team to victory so often, many take his brilliance for granted.

This automaton-like perfection shows up in his numbers. After 279 innings, he averages almost 59 (highest for anyone with over 50 innings) He broke Sachin’s 49 century milestone in 173 less innings. In over 43 per cent of his innings, he has scored a 50 or a 100 (Tendulkar did so in about 32 per cent of his innings).

Especially in chases, Kohli’s record is impeccable. He averages 65.49 (de Villiers comes next with an average of 56.81) and 23 of his 27 hundreds in run chases have come in a winning cause. If someone had to build a perfect ODI batter, they may look very similar to Virat Kohli.

So, is Kohli the GOAT?

There is a very strong case to be made in his favour. Not just because he has 50 ODI centuries but because of the sheer effectiveness of his method to win games. With ODIs on the wane, it is unlikely anyone will come close to Kohli’s record in the future. Moreover, given his fitness and dedication to the grind, there is a good chance Kohli can add to his resume for another few years at the very least.

That being said, comparisons are always tricky. Viv Richards, who played on far worse pitches wearing only a hat to protect his head, cannot be compared to the modern-day cricketer that Virat Kohli is. Neither can Sachin, who was far more aggressive in his era than Kohli is in his. Sanath was a trailblazer, who changed how ODI cricket is thought of and so was de Villiers. Each of these greats have strong cases to be GOATs and ultimately, the assessment will always remain subjective.

(All data courtesy ESPNcricinfo)