Happy Birthday Virat Kohli: Comparing his stats with other legends at 36 years of age

Iconic India batter and former captain Virat Kohli turns 36 on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Although he is going through a rut at the moment, the Delhi batter is among the best in the world, and has consistently shown his class.

Kohli has scored 9040, 13906 and 4188 runs in Tests, ODIs and T20Is, respectively, in his career. Although he retired from the last format earlier this year after the T20 World Cup that India won, he is the all-time second-highest run-getter in it.

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru player has often been compared to greats of the game, not excepting the legendary and godlike Sachin Tendulkar. To honor this emotion, we have decided to do the same here.

In this piece, we will take a look at how Kohli's stats stack up when compared to five other legends of our sport:

#1 Sachin Tendulkar

The legendary Sachin Tendulkar, whom many consider to be the 'God' of cricket was scoring runs for fun - as he did throughout his career - when he was 36. 2009, when he celebrated his 36th birthday, was also the year when he completed 20 years in international cricket.

Tendulkar celebrated this year by becoming the first men's batter to score a double century in ODIs (200* vs South Africa in Gwalior). In this period, he amassed a jaw-dropping total of 30,374 runs in international cricket with 88 centuries and 157 half-centuries.

Kohli, on the other hand, has aggregated 27,134 runs at the same age with 80 centuries and 141 half-centuries. He might get close to eclipsing the maestro's record of scoring a hundred centuries in international cricket, but again, there is no saying how form will treat Kohli in the future.

#2 Ricky Ponting

The legendary Ricky Ponting, who earned his stripes by leading Australia to two ODI World Cup titles in 2003 and 2007, was also the second-best batter in the world during his prime, following closely on the heels of Tendulkar.

Ponting had amassed 25,846 runs by the time he turned 36 in 2010 with 68 centuries and 137 half-centuries in 618 innings across all formats. Kohli, with his 27,134, is comfortably ahead of the great Australian.

Kohli has often been compared to Ponting in the past owing to the similarity in character and behavior the two have displayed in their respective careers. Like Ponting, Kohli has a win-at-all-costs attitude.

#3 Rahul Dravid

Former India captain and coach Rahul Dravid, born in 1973, turned 36 in 2009. Widely classified as one of the last - and perhaps the greatest - classical Test match batters the world has seen, the former Karnataka star is highly regarded.

Dravid, who made his debut in international cricket in a Test against England at Lord's, accumulated 22,021 runs by the time he turned 36 in 2009. This included 40 centuries and 140 half-centuries in a total of 550 innings at an average of 45.59.

Kohli is comfortably ahead of Dravid with regard to statistics, and it just goes to show why the Delhi batter is rated so highly by his peers as well as former teammates. The two played together for India and RCB, and Dravid was also the head coach of India until recently, with Kohli playing under him.

#4 Jacques Kallis

Jacques Kallis, perhaps the last great all-rounder the world has seen, accumulated 23,920 runs by the time he turned 36 years old in 2011. Kallis scored 57 centuries and 143 centuries during this time at an average of 49.93.

Known to be South Africa's savior whenever the times were dire, Kallis' high backlift was often a precursor to a classically executed cover or on drive that demoralised the best bowlers in the world.

Kohli inches ahead of Kallis in terms of runs, but the latter was also one of the greatest fast bowlers the world has seen. He picked up 292 and 273 wickets in Tests and ODIs, respectively, by the time he retired in 2014.

#5 Kumar Sangakkara

Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Sangakkara, who put the country on the cricketing map along with compatriots Mahela Jayawardene, Sanath Jayasuriya and Muttiah Muralitharan, scored 23,936 runs by the time he turned 36.

The southpaw was best known for his cover drive with his back knee on the ground, but Kohli is comfortably ahead of him with regards to statistics. Sangakkara scored 49 centuries and 133 half-centuries by the time he was 36.

Kohli beats Sangakkara, and this list shows that it is only Tendulkar who was ahead of the former RCB skipper when he was 36. Sangakkara, of course, is a legend of the game in Sri Lanka and is widely respected across the island.