Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam: Who Is Better? Average, Statistics and Batting Comparison

Virat Kohli made his international debut in 2008 and spent the next seventeen years rewriting record books. Babar Azam arrived in 2015 and immediately gave the cricketing world a new name to argue about.

Both players are right-handed batters who have left an enduring mark on the world of cricket. Yet the never-ending question of who is better between the two still continues to divide fans and spark debate across generations. Here is the answer to that never-ending question.

Test Cricket

Kohli played 123 Tests scoring 9230 runs at an average of 46.9 with 30 centuries and 31 fifties. His highest score is an unbeaten 254. Babar played 62 Tests scoring 4481 runs at an average of 42.7 with nine centuries and 31 fifties.

Kohli has 85 international centuries in total across all formats compared to roughly 31 for Babar. In Tests alone the gap is 21 centuries. Kohli also scored heavily outside Asia, something Babar has still not done consistently.

Kohli’s overseas record and long-term impact give him a clear lead in the Test format. There is no version of this comparison where Babar wins in red-ball cricket.

ODI Cricket

This is the format where Kohli’s numbers enter a different dimension entirely. He has played 311 ODIs scoring 14797 runs at an average of 58.7 and a strike rate of 93.8 with 54 centuries and 77 fifties. Kohli became the fastest batter to 14255 ODI runs in 2025, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record.

Babar has played 143 ODIs scoring 6626 runs at an average of 53.4 with 20 centuries. The gap in centuries is 34. The gap in runs is over 8000. While Babar’s average in the ODI is elite, Kohli’s great volume of runs, unwavering consistency in chases, and steadfast match-winning centuries give him a impeccable clear edge.

In ODI World Cups alone, Kohli has scored 1795 runs across 37 matches at an average of 59.83. Babar is a fine ODI batter. Kohli is the finest ODI batter in the history of the game.

Also Read: Suryakumar Yadav vs Shreyas Iyer: Who Is Better? Batting and Stats Comparison

T20 International Cricket

The gap closes here and the conversation gets genuinely interesting. Kohli played 125 T20Is scoring 4188 runs at an average of 48.7 and a strike rate of 137.0 with one century and 38 fifties. Babar has played 145 T20Is scoring 4596 runs at an average of 39.0 and a strike rate of 128.0 with three centuries and 39 fifties.

Babar has more T20I runs and more T20I centuries. Kohli has a better average and a better strike rate. In T20 internationals the rivalry is very close. Kohli is more consistent while Babar produces bigger individual knocks. In 2026, Babar equalled Kohli’s record of most T20 centuries in a single country.

Kohli won the 2024 T20 World Cup as a batter and announced his T20I retirement immediately after. Babar is still playing and building his T20I numbers. This is the one format where calling it even is completely fair.

Head-to-Head Record and Pressure Performances

The biggest separating factor across this entire debate is pressure. Kohli dominates pressure situations while Babar excels in technical purity and consistency. Kohli’s record in knockout matches, ICC tournaments, and run chases under pressure has no modern equivalent.

In the 2023 ODI World Cup alone Kohli was the highest run-scorer with 765 runs. Babar has not produced an ICC tournament knock that defines his legacy the way Kohli’s do. Technique without results at the biggest moments is a real limitation and Babar has not fully answered that question yet.

Who Is Better Overall?

On aggregate as of June 2026, Kohli leads on career runs and centuries in all three formats and has a far stronger chasing and knockout record. Babar is 31 years old and still in his prime.

If Babar adds another four or five productive years and lifts an ICC trophy as a senior batter, the conversation shifts. Right now it does not. Kohli is ahead across two formats clearly and level in one.

Follow Cricbites for the latest cricket updates, match schedules, player news, records, rankings and expert insights from around the world.

Read More: Shreyas Iyer vs Rishabh Pant: Who Is Better? Batting and Stats Comparison