Virat Kohli vs Sachin Tendulkar: Who scored more runs before 25?

Indian cricket has been blessed with two of the greatest batters to have ever played the game, namely Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. While Tendulkar emerged as a precocious talent in world cricket, taking on the world’s greatest bowlers in his teenage years, Kohli announced his arrival by guiding India to the Under-19 World Cup triumph under his leadership.

Today, both batters are compared to each other by their large fanbases for their remarkable exploits on the pitch. The debates continue to rage on in cricketing circles, especially after Kohli surpassed Tendulkar’s century tally in ODIs. While the cricket debates continue, here’s a quick comparison between Tendulkar and Kohli’s career numbers before turning 25:

Tests

Sachin Tendulkar had already announced himself as a prolific run scorer in Test cricket from an early age. He slammed his maiden Test century at the age of 17 at Old Trafford in Manchester and even slammed two centuries on his maiden tour to Australia. Before turning 25, he scored 4,552 runs in 92 innings at an average of 54.84 with 16 centuries and 19 fifties with a highest score of 179.

On the other hand, Virat Kohli had a quiet beginning to his Test career, until he announced his arrival with his maiden Test century in Australia in 2012. He scored 1,175 runs from 31 innings at an average of 41.96 with four hundreds and six fifties and a highest score of 116.

ODIs

However, in ODIs, it’s a completely different story as Sachin Tendulkar took some time to establish himself in the 50-over format. Before turning 25, he accumulated 6,522 runs in 181 innings, averaging 39.52 with 14 hundreds and 40 fifties, with a highest score of 143. 

On the other hand, Kohli made 4,919 runs in 113 innings with a superior average of 51.77. He hit 17 centuries and 26 fifties with a highest score of 183. Kohli outshine Tendulkar here, with superior consistency and conversion rates.