Virat Kohli vs Jos Buttler: Comparing their captaincy stats in ODIs

Virat Kohli and Jos Buttler are two of the best white-ball batters in recent times, and naturally, they availed the opportunity to lead their respective nations. The pair were responsible for their team at a crucial phase amid transition, but produced different kinds of results.

Both Kohli and Buttler's white-ball captaincy came to an ugly end. The Indian skipper was cast aside for Rohit Sharma in early 2022 after having stepped down from the T20I and Test captaincy in quick succession. Buttler, on the other hand, resigned after England were thoroughly outplayed in the 2025 Champions Trophy.

On that note, let us take a look at the ODI captaincy stats of both Virat Kohli and Jos Buttler.

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#1 Overall numbers

Virat Kohli's reign as India's full-time captain began in 2017 when MS Dhoni stepped down. It was a natural succession as Kohli had led on sporadic occasions and had considerable leadership experience in Tests and the IPL. He led India in 95 matches until 2021, boasting an impeccable win percentage in the process.

Much like Kohli, Buttler also led England on select occasions during Eoin Morgan's golden reign as captain. The wicketkeeper-batter was handed over the reins, and had a huge task in maintaining the continuity of the process, which began after the 2015 ODI World Cup.

However, his tenure did not mark any significant highs. Instead, it included multiple series losses to Australia, India, and the West Indies. Unfortunately, Buttler's time as captain will be considered a dark chapter in England's cricketing history.

Player Name	Matches	Wins	Losses	Win Percentage
Virat Kohli	95	65	27	68.42
Jos Buttler	45	18	26	40

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#2 Win-loss record away from home

A true hallmark for a captain is his ability to produce results in alien conditions. Virat Kohli prioritized the same when he became Test captain in 2014, and a dedicated effort to improve this led to some famous results in Australia, England, and South Africa.

Bilateral affairs coupled with ICC events, Kohli had the bulk of his ODI captaincy stint away from home, and produced tangible results. His win percentage away from home is eerily similar to his overall win percentage as India grew from strength to strength to become a white-ball powerhouse under his reign.

The majority of Buttler's away assignments came in the subcontinent, where England already did not have a good record. The team heavily suffered, winning only a third of their matches away from home under Buttler's captaincy. Even recently, England had to tour India and play the Champions Trophy campaign in the subcontinent, and all they could produce was six losses on the trot.

Player Name	Matches	Wins	Losses	Win Percentage
Virat Kohli	60	41	16	68.33
Jos Buttler	33	11	22	33.33

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#3 Win-loss record in ICC events

Despite a difference of 40 matches in their captaincy tenure, both Virat Kohli and Jos Buttler led in the same number of ICC ODI events. Kohli was India's captain in the 2017 Champions Trophy and the 2019 ODI World Cup, while Buttler guided his side in the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Team India had memorable ICC ODI campaigns when Kohli was captain, enduring only four losses in total. Unfortunately, two of those were in knockout matches which cost them the title, resulting in Kohli being a key figure in India's decade-long title drought that began in 2013. India lost in the semi-finals of the 2019 ODI World Cup to New Zealand, and in the finals of the 2017 Champions Trophy to Pakistan.

Jos Buttler's captaincy reign began on an optimistic note after a famous 2022 T20 World Cup win. However, he could not replicate the same when it came to ICC ODI events. The wicket-keeper had led England's title defence in the 2023 ODI World Cup, but the team failed to make it to the knockout stages.

The 2025 Champions Trophy was another debacle as England ended up winless and bottom of the group, ultimately leading to Buttler's resignation.

Player Name	Matches	Wins	Losses	Win Percentage
Virat Kohli	15	10	4	66.67
Jos Buttler	12	3	9	25.00