Why Virat Kohli is the greatest batsman of this generation

The scintillating batting performance by Indian captain Virat Kohli in the Hyderabad T20I against the West Indies is one of the many masterclasses of the maestro in the last decade or so. This comes immediately after his terrific hundred in India’s first pink ball test match, at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. These two back to back performances by Kohli in two very different formats is yet another reminder of his versatility as a batsman.

Though the debate for the best batsman of the current generation still rages on, and is something that will possibly be settled once the four best batsmen of this generation have hung their boots, considering the fact that their careers are past the halfway stage, it is no longer premature to sit on a judgment on this one.

The fabulous four – Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Joe Root and Kane Williamson – are all terrific batsmen. But if versatility is the criterion to judge, there should be no doubt who the leader of the pack is. In test cricket, Steve Smith can be considered as possibly the greatest of the four. His test average of almost 64, after compiling more than 7000 runs in 70 matches sets him apart from the other three, the next highest average being that of Kohli at a distant 55. Williamson and Root have even lower averages at 52.6 and 48.5, respectively.

However, Smith’s record in the limited over format is quite below average, to say the least. His ODI and T20I averages are 41.4 and 27.4, respectively. They look even worse when compared with Kohli’s whose average is above 50 in both these limited over formats as well – around 60 in ODIs and 52 in T20Is. Surprisingly, Joe Root has the second-best ODI average at around 51, with Williamson’s at around 48. In the T20Is, Root and Williamson’s averages are 35.7 and 31.4, respectively.

The above statistics prove beyond doubt that in the limited over formats, Kohli is in a league of his own, and it is almost blasphemous to talk of the other three in the same breath. And when it comes to the test format, his performance is just a notch below the Australian great, but certainly better than those of Root and Williamson.

Also see – Ranji Trophy points table

Unlike the other three, Kohli has been a constant feature in all three formats of the game for his country, for a very long time. His overall international run tally so far is an astounding 21,266 runs with Root being a very distant second at 14,031 runs. The international century tally so far for Kohli is at 70, and breaking Sachin’s record of a century of centuries is only a matter of time. Smith and Williamson have 34 international centuries each, with Root at 33.

It is difficult, well neigh impossible to think that any of the other three coming anywhere close to Kohli in terms of the overall international run and century tally. If at all, the gulf could possibly widen even further. They say cricket is a game of glorious uncertainty. But on the evidence of what we have seen so far, it will take a very brave man (and possibly a foolish man) to argue against Virat Kohli being the greatest and most versatile batsman of the current generation.