Virat Kohli vs Travis Head - comparing their stats after 56 Tests ahead of SA vs AUS 2025 WTC final 

Virat Kohli and Travis Head have been part of a fierce rivalry between India and Australia over the last few years, both in Tests and white-ball cricket, helping their respective sides achieve glory.

Kohli's Test career spanned from 2011 to 2025, during which he amassed 9,230 runs in 123 Tests at an average of 46.85, including 31 fifties and 30 centuries.

Meanwhile, Head's red-ball debut came in 2018, and the left-hander has gained prominence over the last few years, notably scoring a match-winning hundred against India in the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final. He will play a crucial role for Australia when they clash against South Africa at Lord's Cricket Ground on June 11, in the WTC 2025 final.

On that note, let's take a look at how Travis Head has fared in comparison to Virat Kohli after his first 56 Tests.

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#1 Runs

Player	Matches	Innings	Runs
Virat Kohli	56	96	4,491
Travis Head	56	93	3,719

Virat Kohli had amassed 4,491 runs in 96 innings until his 56th appearance in his illustrious Test career. Kohli's best year in terms of output came in 2016, when he slammed 1,215 runs, with four hundreds and two fifties.

Travis Head has so far accumulated 3,719 runs in 93 innings in the red-ball format. 2023 was the best year for Head, as he scored 919 runs, with five fifties and a century.

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#2 Average

Player	Innings	Average	50/100
Virat Kohli	96	49.90	14/16
Travis Head	93	42.75	18/9

Virat Kohli held a supreme average of 49.90 in his first 56 Tests. Notably, the former Indian skipper displayed terrific consistency in 2016, registering a career-high average of 75.94. Until this time, he had registered 14 fifties and 16 centuries, with three of them being double tons.

Travis Head has an average of 42.75 in his 56-game Test career. He has reached the triple-figure mark on nine occasions, while scoring 18 fifties. Head held an average of 62 in 2021, scoring 248 runs in four innings.

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#3 Most runs on foreign soil

Player	Innings (away soil)	Runs	Average	50/100
Virat Kohli	48	2,250	40.17	4/9
Travis Head	44	1,349	32.90	7/1

Virat Kohli had scored 2,250 runs at an average of 40.17 in 48 innings on foreign soil until his 56th Test appearance. His run tally included nine centuries and four fifties, with the finest knock of 200 coming against the West Indies in 2016.

Notably, Kohli's finest performance on overseas soil came in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2014/15 against Australia. He smashed 692 runs in eight innings, with four centuries. Kohli's top score of 169 in Melbourne is still fresh in fans' minds, along with his infamous exchange with Mitchell Johnson. Moreover, he also registered centuries in both innings of the Adelaide Test, albeit in a losing cause.

Meanwhile, Travis Head has garnered 1,349 runs on away soil at an average of 32.90 so far in his career. During this phase, he has scored six fifties and a solitary hundred.

Head slammed against 163 in the WTC 2023 final against India at the Kennington Oval, which eventually helped Australia win the title.

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#4 Contributions in a winning cause

Player	Total Runs	Runs in a winning cause	% of runs in winning cause	50/100
Virat Kohli	4,491	2,337	52.03	8/7
Travis Head	3,719	2,532	68.08	12/8

In his first 56 Tests, Virat Kohli had accumulated 2,337 runs in a winning cause, 52.03% of his total tally. His record comprised eight fifties and seven centuries.

One of Kohli's most dominant knocks came against England in 2016 in Mumbai. He slammed 235 in the first innings, which eventually resulted in India winning by an innings and 36 runs.

Travis Head has scored 2,532 runs in wins, an impressive 68.08% share in his Test record. The southpaw has registered 12 fifties and eight hundreds in this process.

In December 2024, Head played a lone warrior for the Aussie side, slamming 140 against India in Adelaide. His contributions helped the home side post 337 in the first innings and eventually win the game by 10 wickets.

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Conclusion

Virat Kohli turns out to be a far better performer than Travis Head in terms of total runs, average and most runs on foreign soil in his first 56 Tests. It is worth noting that Kohli's sensational performance during the 2014 Tour to Australia improved his record on overseas soil.

Meanwhile, Head has a whopping 68.03% of his total runs in a winning cause for Australia, which puts him ahead of Kohli in this aspect.