Ever since the stalwarts of Indian batting like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Saurav Ganguly and Virendra Sehwag hung up their boots, India has seen the rise of too batting sensations have magnificent careers. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are a couple of gems unearthed by the Indian cricket system and they have from thereon taken the mantle of Indian cricket and moved it into this modern game. An aspect of modern cricket is the T20 game and both of these superb players have made their name in the T20 game. The T20 game has different demands to that of other formats where it isn’t just about technique and skill. It is also the ability to clear the boundary line at will. Both these players graduated from the domestic system and have paralleled the rise of the T20 game. Rohit started his career at the T20 world cup itself when he rose to the occasion on a swinging wicket and scored a special 50 in the quarterfinal clash against South Africa. He again contributed towards the final win with a couple of good contributions. While Rohit then saw a drip in his fortunes for the next 5 years and this was the time when Virat Kohli announced himself on to the cricket scene and dominated every single format of the game. Virat was a part of the team which won the 2011 50 over world cup. Rohit came roaring back during the 2013 champions trophy when he was promoted as an opener and then turned things around for himself.
Since then, there has been a healthy rivalry going on between the two superb batsmen and it is getting bigger and better for the team as a whole. So where does the buck stop on this question. Who is actually the better batsman among the two great men?
Virat Kohli has some incredible stats when it comes to the T20 games. In the international game, he averages over 50 while in the IPL, he has an average of close to 37. In both the formats, he has been striking heavily and the strike rate has been in the 130s. The stats would suggest that he is a better batsman. Rohit averages around 32 and has a strike rate of 139 in the international game and averages 31 and strike rate of 130 in the IPL.
But for the knowledge of those looking for cricket betting tips T20 is perhaps a game where the intangibles matter a lot more than the averages and the other numbers that make the decision about deciding who the better batsman is. It is often the more impactful knock on the bigger stage that can swing the game in a team’s way. While Kohli is a more consistent batsman over the years. Rohit has had moments where he has turned the game around for the team. One came recently in New Zealand when he scored 3 sixes to win a game against Tim Southee. His knock in the IPL final in 2020 was another testament to how good he can be in the event of a big match. More interestingly, the knock came on the pitches of UAE which are going to also host the world t20. It however is a little unfair to compare both of them as they are both really important in the context of Indian cricket. Rohit and Kohli have both been mainstays in the Indian cricket batting order and if we are still having this debate after the world t20 it would mean that both of them have had quite a good series which will augur well for the team as a whole.