Dhawan vs Kohli vs Sharma: Who is the best ODI player at home?

Statistics in ODI Victories at Home:

Player	Matches won	Runs	Average	Best	100/50s
Shikhar Dhawan	11	698	63.45	119	3/4
Rohit Sharma	18	1165	89.61	264	3/5
Virat Kohli	41	2168	67.75	139*	9/10

Shikhar’s numbers are solid when it comes to winning matches. Out of the 16 matches he has played at home, he has been a part of the winning side in 11 of these occasions. Among those 11, he has scored fifty or more in seven occasions, or 63.63%.

His average of 63.45 is also very good for an opener as they are the players on whom the entire team is most dependent. Shikhar prefers to chase than bat first, as his average while batting second rises to 69.85 when compared to 52.25 batting first.

It is also interesting to note that Shikhar has done his best when not facing the first ball of the match - the only time he has done so at home, he got out for a two-ball duck.

Shikhar has won 11 ODIs at home, and has scored 50 or above in 7 of them

It is no surprise to see Rohit’s average so high, especially considering the double-centuries that he has scored. It is also no surprise that Rohit’s batting average in wins at home is the highest by any player in the history of the game (minimum 10 matches played).

Out of 28 matches that Rohit has played at home, he has won in 18 of those. In those 18, he has made scores of fifty or more on 8 occasions, or 44.44%. While his percentage of contribution in wins might be relatively less, he has made these runs at a healthy strike rate of 105, which is much higher than his overall strike rate of 83.

Unlike Shikhar who prefers to chase, Rohit prefers batting first - his average, when put into bat, is 107.00, much higher than his 78.75 while chasing. Apart from the opener’s position, Rohit has also found success while batting at No. 5, scoring 233 runs in 4 games.

Virat is a genuine run machine. Among all batsmen (since 2009), Virat is second on the table of most runs scored in a winning cause at home. Virat has scored 2168 runs in 41 matches while chasing, second only to TIllakaratne Dilshan. Of these 41 matches, Kohli has scored fifty or more in 19 of those innings, which is 46.3%. What works in Kohli’s favor is that he has consistently delivered against most of the opposition teams.

Against Australia, he averages 119.00 in wins and 71.14 and 72.00 against Sri Lanka and West Indies. He also averages 82.00 against England and 58.50 against New Zealand. Though Rohit and Shikhar also have high averages against individual teams, neither have played even half the amount of matches that Virat has.

Virat is undoubtedly the master of the chase, topping the list of highest run scorers in a winning chase (since 2009). Virat has scored 1476 runs in 24 matches that India has won chasing, and has a mind-blowing 13 scores of fifty or more in them - or 54.1%. Virat’s average of 86.82 drives home the point that he is unstoppable during a chase.

Final Say

The comparison between Shikhar, Virat and Rohit brings about some interesting numbers about all three of India’s batting giants. While Shikhar has not played enough at home - just 16 matches - he has scored fifty or more in 8 of them, which is highly commendable.

In the modern day game where a good start is often crucial to take the game away from the opponent, having an opener who can score a half-century or more in half the games makes him a very valuable asset.

What India will most want from Shikhar is a clear head in the middle while facing the tough South African bowling attack. He must use all his experience playing overseas to tackle the likes of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel at home.

Rohit leads most charts in the average section, thanks to his huge double-hundreds at home. He has the second highest average at home by any player in the history of the game, and highest in wins at home.

Perhaps Rohit’s greatest weakness is his inconsistency against certain teams, while his average is 98.40 against Australia, it drops to 34.25 against England. Though his low averages against some teams can be explained due to his lack of matches against them, he still has a lot to improve in terms of staying at the top. India will want him to not lose focus during the middle overs and give his start away, like he has done so many times in the past.

When it comes to being the best at something, Virat cannot be far off. It is the same in this case as well, as it is Virat who takes the top honours while playing at home. His consistent average against all teams, save Pakistan, firmly puts him as the best Indian player at home among the three batsmen.

With the second highest average in home chases in the last 6 years - also the highest in winning chases - Virat is the rock which supports the entire team as of now. With India playing host to all the other nations in the next couple of years, it would seem that Virat will keep his position as one of the best batsmen at home over the last few years.

Though Virat wins as the best batsman at home, it would be very unwise to count out the other to players. Shikhar has simply not played enough matches to qualify as being consistent at home, but the matches he has played, he has delivered.

On the other hand, Rohit is an extremely dangerous player in his own right, and is not to be taken lightly. While the touring South Africans will lock their targets on Virat, they would do well not to exclude the equally dangerous pair of Shikhar and Rohit.