Virat Kohli vs Steven Smith: Who is better?
Talk about one of the biggest modern day rivalries in international cricket and the names of Steven Smith and Virat Kohli come to your mind. This might not be a bat vs ball contest, but it's about outscoring your rival to claim the status of the number one batsman. Here, we present to you a statistical comparison between Steven Smith and Virat Kohli.
Smith admits to learning Kohli's technique
Kohli is setting the stage alight in South Africa. He is single-handedly winning India games and Smith is keeping a close eye. While they might not share the best of relationships on or off field, Steven Smith has no shame in admitting that he is keenly observing his rival to learn and replicate his batting technique, especially when it comes to tackling spin.
Trivia: Kohli vs Smith
Smith trying to emulate Kohli's technique
"Little bit of Virat and the way he plays spin, his hands and the way he hits the ball through the off-side. Probably learnt a little bit out of that...these guys are best players in the world for a reason." said Smith.
Does the best Test batsman need to learn from rivals?
While Steven Smith, who started his career as a spin bowler, might be the best Test cricketer in the world right now, his resume isn't that impressive when it comes to ODIs and T20Is. This is where batsmen like Virat Kohli, Joe Root, AB de Villiers and Kane Williamson dominate and are miles ahead of Smith.
Smith is supreme when it comes to Test cricket
In 61 Tests, Smith has scored 6,057 runs at a stunning average of 63.75. He also has 23 tons and 23 fifties to his name with a top score of 239. In 66 Tests, Kohli has scored 5,554 at an average of 53.40 with 21 hundreds and 16 fifties. These numbers clearly show why Smith is the number 1 ranked Test batsman.
Kohli's record is far more exceptional in coloured clothing
Kohli turns into a beast when it comes to coloured clothing. There is no batsman right now, who averages more than Kohli. Even retired batsmen, who have played at least 35 ODI matches, are nowhere close to the Indian captain.
Virat Kohli is the king of ODI cricket
In 208 matches, Virat Kohli has scored 9,588 runs at an average of 58.10 with 35 hundreds and 46 fifties to his name. Steven Smith is nowhere close to this. Steven Smith has played 108 ODIs for Australia, scoring 3,441 runs at an average of 41.84. Smith has 8 ODI hundreds and 19 fifties to his name.
Kohli boasts a stunning average of 50 plus in T20Is
T20Is is also Kohli's turf. In 57 matches, he has 1983 runs at a strike rate of 137.32 and an average of 50.84 with 18 fifties to his name. Smith, on the other hand, has scored just 431 runs in 30 matches at an average of 21.55 and a strike rate of 122.44. He has scored 2 half centuries in his 25 innings.
Verdict tilts in Kohli's favour
No batsman in world cricket has an average of 50+ across all 3 formats of the game, barring Virat Kohli. He is the most consistent batsman in the world.
