Virat Kohli vs MS Dhoni: Statistical comparison (IPL)
Two of India's greatest captains are set to clash as Chennai Super Kings will lock horns with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League 2021 on April 25. Both Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni are leading their sides from the front this season. The two captains have led their franchises to several heights in the cash-rich league. Let us compare their IPL numbers.
Virat Kohli's stats in the IPL
Kohli remains the only active player to have represented only one franchise (RCB) in the IPL since the inaugural edition. In a career spanning over a decade, he has emerged as the only player with over 6,000 runs. So far, he has racked up 6,021 runs from 196 matches at an average of 38.35. The incredible tally also includes five tons and 40 fifties.
A look at Dhoni's IPL career
Dhoni is the most experienced player in the IPL history. He is one of the three cricketers to play 200 or more matches in the tournament. In 208 games, he has scored 4,667 runs at an average of 40.23. He owns 23 half-centuries with a career-best score of 84*. Dhoni also has most dismissals by a wicket-keeper (151) in the IPL history.
Here are the captaincy numbers
Dhoni remains the most successful IPL captain in terms of wins. He is the only player to win over 100 matches as captain. Overall, he has won 113 out of 192 games, and lost 78 as captain. Under him, CSK have won the title thrice (2010, 2011, and 2018). Meanwhile, Kohli owns 59 wins as captain, and is yet to win his maiden title.
Dhoni vs RCB, Kohli vs CSK
Dhoni is the leading run-scorer against RCB in the IPL. Till date, he has racked up 823 runs from 28 games at a strike rate of 141.9. The tally includes 46 sixes and 49 fours. Dhoni has registered seven unbeaten scores against them. Meanwhile, Kohli also leads the runs tally against CSK. He has 887 runs at a strike rate of 127.26 against them.
Strength of Kohli and Dhoni
In terms of batting, Kohli excels in the middle overs as he believes in building the innings meticulously. In this phase, he has amassed 2,968 runs at an average of 47.11. Besides, Dhoni fires at the death (2,803 runs at strike rate of 175.96).
A look at the interesting stats
Dhoni is known for his exploits in the death overs, especially against RCB. He has a strike rate of 192.44 against them at the death. Kohli gets even more dangerous in the final four overs against CSK (strike rate: 193.97). Notably, his scores in the last four games at Wankhede read as - 72*, 8, 92* and 20. Meanwhile, Dhoni averages only 21.92 here.
