'Virat Kohli was better than Sachin Tendulkar in Tests': AB de Villiers makes huge claim

AB de Villiers believes Virat Kohli elevated India’s overseas Test batting success beyond Sachin Tendulkar’s pioneering contributions. Tendulkar, the highest run-scorer in Test cricket with 15,921 runs, was the first to prove Indian batters could excel in bouncy and seaming conditions abroad. Kohli, with 9,230 runs in 123 Tests, is 19th on the all-time list but outperformed Tendulkar in overseas performance, scoring 4,774 runs in 66 Tests outside India compared to Tendulkar’s 8,705 runs in 63 SENA Tests (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia). Kohli’s average of 42.08 in SENA conditions was lower than Tendulkar’s 51.30, but De Villiers emphasizes Kohli’s broader influence in shaping India’s overseas batting success. Kohli’s era saw India become a dominant overseas team, setting higher expectations for future generations like KL Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal, who follow in Tendulkar and Kohli’s footsteps. Rahul, however, struggles with overseas averages (34) and needs to improve scoring consistency to match Kohli’s legacy.