Every generation of cricket fans has this debate. Who comes after Sachin Tendulkar?
Tendulkar is the God of Cricket. That title was settled long ago.
But the number two spot has been argued in living rooms, WhatsApp groups, and sports desks for over a decade.
The stats have an answer. And it points clearly to one player.
Who Is The 2nd God Of Cricket In The World?
Quick Answer: Virat Kohli is the 2nd God of Cricket. He holds the record for most ODI centuries (50), fastest to 10,000 ODI runs (205 innings), and highest runs in a single ODI World Cup (711 in 2023). No active player matches his consistency across all three formats.
What Makes Someone the “2nd God of Cricket”?
The word “God” in cricket is not about one big innings or one good series.
It is about what a player does over 10, 15, 20 years against every opponent, in every condition, on every stage.
Three things separate the greats from the very greats: volume, consistency, and performance when it matters most.
Kohli scores on all three.
Kohli’s Numbers Across All Formats
| Format | Matches | Runs | Average | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 123+ | 9,230+ | 48.7 | 29 | 31 |
| ODIs | 295+ | 14,000+ | 58.1 | 50 | 72 |
| T20Is | 125+ | 4,100+ | 52.7 | 1 | 37 |
Batting average above 50 in all three formats. No other batter in cricket history has done that. Not Tendulkar, not Lara, not Ponting.
That number alone is the argument.
The Records He Has Already Broken
- Fastest to 10,000 ODI Runs
Sachin Tendulkar reached 10,000 ODI runs in 259 innings. Kohli did it in 205. He got there with an unbeaten 157 against the West Indies in Visakhapatnam in October 2018, breaking the record by 54 innings.
- Fastest to 12,000 ODI Runs
Tendulkar needed 300 innings for 12,000. Kohli cleared the mark in 242. That is a 58-innings gap, which at Kohli’s scoring rate means roughly 4-5 more centuries worth of runs.
- 50 ODI Centuries: One More Than Sachin
On November 15, 2023, at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Kohli scored 117 runs against New Zealand in the ODI World Cup semi-final. It was his 50th ODI century. Sachin’s tally was 49. Tendulkar was watching from the stands.
- Highest Single-Tournament Runs in ODI World Cup History
Kohli scored 711 runs in the 2023 ODI World Cup. The previous record was 673, set by Tendulkar in 2003. Kohli broke it 20 years later at the same tournament.
- Fastest to 50 International Centuries
Kohli reached 50 international hundreds in 348 innings. Tendulkar took 376. The gap of 28 innings may seem small, but at the international level, those are a full series worth of cricket.
World Cup Stats: The Pressure Test
If you want to know how a player really performs, look at their World Cup numbers. Knockout cricket, full stadiums, no second chances.
| Tournament | Innings | Runs | Average | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ODI World Cups | 37 | 1,795 | 59.83 | 5 | 12 |
| T20 World Cups | 25 | 1,141 | 81.50 | 0 | 14 |
His T20 World Cup average of 81.50 is the highest in the history of that competition. An average above 59 in ODI World Cups over 37 innings is a different kind of consistency.
Kohli vs. The Rest of His Generation
Some fans point to Steve Smith, Joe Root, or Kane Williamson as equal candidates. The stats make that case very hard to defend.
| Player | ODI Average | ODI Centuries | T20I Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 58.1 | 50 | 52.7 |
| Steve Smith | 43.2 | 11 | 28.9 |
| Joe Root | 49.9 | 22 | 26.1 |
| Kane Williamson | 47.5 | 13 | 33.5 |
| Rohit Sharma | 48.6 | 31 | 32.2 |
Smith is a Test specialist. Root is one of the finest Test batters alive, but his white-ball numbers do not compete.
Williamson is consistent but not in the same volume bracket.
Rohit Sharma has a strong ODI record, but his T20I average and overall consistency across all formats do not match Kohli’s.
Kohli is the only player in this group with an ODI average above 55 and a T20I average above 50.
The Sachin Comparison: Sachin vs Kohli Stats
This is not about saying Kohli is better than Sachin. He is not. The records Tendulkar set over 24 years are in a category of their own. But Kohli is closer to that benchmark than anyone expected.
| Milestone | Sachin Tendulkar | Virat Kohli |
|---|---|---|
| International centuries | 100 | 80+ |
| ODI centuries | 49 | 50 (broken) |
| Innings to 10,000 ODI runs | 259 | 205 (broken) |
| Innings to 12,000 ODI runs | 300 | 242 (broken) |
| Best ODI World Cup (runs) | 673 in 2003 | 711 in 2023 (broken) |
| Peak ICC ODI rating | 887 | 889 (broken) |
Kohli has broken six of Sachin’s significant ODI records. The one that remains is the total international century count. Sachin has 100. Kohli has 80+.
Can He Reach 100 International Centuries?
He needs roughly 17 to 20 more. Age will be the main factor. Kohli is in his mid-30s, and the workload of international cricket is heavy.
But no other active player is anywhere close. Rohit Sharma is next in line with around 31 ODI centuries, but his overall international century count puts him well behind. Kohli is, by a wide margin, the only realistic candidate.
If he stays fit and plays regularly for two to three more years, the record is reachable.
More Than Statistics: Why the Title Sticks
Numbers do not fully explain why a title like this lands. Fans use it because of how Kohli made them feel across 15 years of cricket.
The chases he won when nobody else could. The Test centuries in England, South Africa, and Australia are conditions where most batters struggle.
The way he showed up in finals and knockouts when teams needed it most.
Sunil Gavaskar put it well: talent makes a good player, but Kohli’s attitude makes a great one. Ricky Ponting said he had not seen a better white-ball batter.
These are serious evaluations from people who played the game at the highest level.
FAQs
- Q1. Who is called the 2nd God of Cricket in the world?
Virat Kohli is widely called the 2nd God of Cricket. He has broken multiple Sachin Tendulkar records and averages over 50 in all three formats of international cricket.
- Q2. Who is the God of Cricket?
Sachin Tendulkar is universally called the God of Cricket. He scored 100 international centuries across a 24-year career and is widely considered the greatest batter in the history of the game.
- Q3. How many ODI centuries does Virat Kohli have?
Kohli has 50 ODI centuries, which is more than Sachin Tendulkar’s 49. He broke that record during the 2023 ODI World Cup semi-final against New Zealand.
- Q4. What is Virat Kohli’s batting average in ODIs?
Kohli’s ODI batting average is 58.1. That is among the highest ever recorded for a batter who has played more than 200 innings.
- Q5. Has Virat Kohli won the ODI World Cup?
Kohli was part of the 2011 ODI World Cup winning team. As captain and player, he appeared in the 2023 ODI World Cup final but India did not win the tournament.
- Q6. Is Virat Kohli better than Sachin Tendulkar?
Most cricket analysts and former players do not rank Kohli above Tendulkar. Sachin’s 100 international centuries across 24 years set a standard that remains unmatched. Kohli is considered the closest any player has come to that level.
Conclusion:
The title of 2nd God of Cricket belongs to Virat Kohli. Not because fans voted for him, but because the data is clean and consistent.
He averages over 50 in all three formats. He has broken multiple records held by Tendulkar.
He performs better in World Cups than in regular cricket. And he has done this for over 15 years.
The debate was always real. The answer, at this point, is clear.
Also Check:
- Godfather of Cricket
- Sachin Tendulkar Records In All Formats
- BCCI Lifetime Achievement Award Winners List
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