Virat Kohli vs Ruturaj Gaikwad - comparing their stats after 66 IPL matches

As the start of the 2025 IPL season gets closer, the customary player and team comparisons have seen an upswing by the day. The banter between Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and MS Dhoni and their respective teams' fans aside, other unique battles have now grabbed the attention of ardent followers of the league.

While most agree that Kohli was inarguably the most consistent top-order batter in the IPL in the 2010s, Ruturaj Gaikwad has taken over that mantle for the ongoing decade. With the inevitable Chennai Super Kings (CSK) - Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fan rivalry taking off in full swing before another IPL season, there is a level of curiosity among fans on the performances of the duo at the same stage of their careers.

Kohli is the IPL's all-time leading run-scorer with 8,004 runs at an average of 38.66 and a strike rate of 131.97 in 252 matches. Meanwhile, Gaikwad is already past 2,300 runs after only five seasons and 66 IPL games.

Kohli is one of only three batters in IPL history to win multiple Orange Caps (2), while Gaikwad has already achieved the same once in 2021. The CSK skipper has also already done something the RCB star has yet to - win an IPL title, having helped CSK lift the trophy in 2021 and 2023.

All that said, does Gaikwad also hold the upper hand when it comes to their numbers after 66 IPL games? Let us find out.

Counting numbers

Before diving into the comparisons, one must remember that Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad began their IPL careers under vastly different circumstances. While T20 batting had already touched incredible heights when the latter started in 2020, the format was only just taking off during Kohli's IPL debut in the league's maiden season in 2008.

Kohli also did not bat in the top order straightaway like Gaikwad, resulting in a lesser number of opportunities for bigger scores in his first 66 IPL games. Nevertheless, with building an innings being each one's core competency, it is only fair we look at their raw quantitative numbers after their first 66 IPL outings.

Virat Kohli vs Ruturaj Gaikwad - Overall Numbers after 66 IPL Matches

Even with the above-mentioned factors in Gaikwad's favor, his lead on Kohli in terms of the raw numbers after their first 66 IPL games is hard to ignore. The CSK batter had scored almost 1,000 more runs than his RCB counterpart at the same stage.

Gaikwad has also touched three figures twice, something Kohli never managed to achieve in his first 66 IPL matches.

Edge: Ruturaj Gaikwad

Impact numbers

Unlike the other formats, T20 is all about impact and much less about the accumulation of runs. Hence, a massive amount of weightage must be placed on a batter's overall average, strike rate, and the same numbers in winning causes.

Here is a look at how the duo of Kohli and Gaikward fared in terms of impact numbers in their first 66 IPL games:

Virat Kohli vs Ruturaj Gaikwad - Impact Numbers after 66 IPL matches

While Kohli turned into one of the most consistent and impactful batters of the IPL, his career started on a middling note. The now 36-year-old averaged under 28 at a sub-par strike rate of 120.03 over his first 66 IPL games.

Meanwhile, Gaikwad has tasted rousing success right from the get-go in the IPL, averaging almost 42 at a strike rate of 136.86 after 66 outings. His numbers in CSK wins are even better, with a remarkable average of 55.66 and a strike rate of almost 140.

Edge: Ruturaj Gaikwad

Clutch numbers

As important as overall numbers may be in the grander scheme of things, what sticks in the memories of fans are the performances by players in the knockout stages of a multi-team tournament. While Gaikwad holds a 2-0 lead over Kohli in the IPL titles battle, the duo played several knockout matches in their first 66 outings.

Virat Kohli vs Ruturaj Gaikwad - Clutch Numbers after 66 IPL Matches

The above table clearly shows Kohli as a batter that stepped up on the big occasion, with his average and strike rate in the IPL playoff and final matches being higher than his overall figures after 66 games.

Yet, the same can be said about Gaikwad, with the CSK opener boasting better numbers in knockout matches than Kohli while also helping CSK win titles in 2021 and 2023.

Edge: Ruturaj Gaikwad

Conclusion

As unfair as it may be to compare the numbers of two players from different eras, the huge margin of victory for Ruturaj Gaikwad over Virat Kohli in every category after their respective first 66 IPL games cannot be ignored. While the latter evolved to become one of the legends of the IPL, the current CSK skipper has already hit the ground running by achieving historic numbers in his first five seasons.

Winner: Ruturaj Gaikwad.