World cricket has witnessed the footprints of many skillful cricketers, though only a few are remembered and celebrated for decades. In the beginning, Sir Donald Bradman was considered a gifted cricketer. However, today’s cricket-loving generation has yet to see him bat. You may find a few old clips on the internet, though they are not enough to justify this greatest cricketer’s talent. Cricket fans saw players like Vivian Richards, Kapil Dev, Ian Botham, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, and many more as the game changed. So, who is the king of cricket among the greatest ever cricketers?
Virat Kohli: The King of Cricket
The answer to “who is the king of cricket?” is Virat Kohli, former Indian captain and current cricketer for all formats for Team India. Virat Kohli arrived in the Indian cricket scenario at a critical juncture, when Sachin Tendulkar was gradually moving towards his retirement. Like many other cricketers in Indian and other parts of the world, Virat grew up as a cricketer, witnessing the flamboyance of Sachin on the cricket pitches.
However, Virat Kohli never tried copying Sachin despite idolizing him. With Kohli, Team India gets an aggressive brand of cricket, which helped the country to win some major ICC tournaments. On August 18, 2008, Kohli made his international cricket debut for India in a one-day match against Sri Lanka. He showed his class from the beginning and gradually flourished under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Virat enjoys the king of cricket tag for multiple reasons, which are discussed in the following section.
Also Read: Most Runs in IPL
Why Is Virat Kohli the King of Cricket?
Virat Kohli is the name that comes to mind for every cricket lover when asked who is the king of cricket. His batting technique is orthodox, though he has excelled in his shot-making skills incredibly with the advent of time. His copybook cover drive wins the hearts of cricket lovers and experts worldwide. On the other hand, his fitness and dedication to the game inspire thousands of young cricketers who want to play international cricket.
- Prolific Run Scorer: Virat is a run machine that has scored the fastest 12000 runs in ODI cricket. It took only 251 matches to reach the milestone, while Sachin Tendulkar reached 12000 runs in ODI in 300 matches. In this tally, Ricky Ponting and Kumar Sangakkara are distant third and fourth.
- King in T20 Cricket: Many experts opined that Virat’s conventional batting approach might not work in the T20 format since the format demands a more aggressive style of cricket. But Kohli proved the experts wrong with his ability to excel skills in T20 cricket. He holds the record of most “man of the series” in t20 cricket, leaving behind cricketers such as Babar Azam, David Warner, Glen Maxwell, etc.
- Master in Red Ball Cricket: In various interviews, Virat said that Test cricket is his favorite cricket format. In the white-ball era of cricket, he always focused on doing well in test cricket. His record in test cricket reflects his dedication to playing red-ball cricket. Virat is only 2000 runs short of reaching the 10,000 test run milestone, with an average slightly below 50.
- Breaking Records for Fun: Sachin Tendulkar has a career of more than 20 years in international cricket. Experts said Sachin’s records were unbeatable when he said goodbye to international cricket. Virat Kohli proved the experts wrong by surging ahead with his aggressive brand of cricket. He nearly broke Sachin’s record for the highest centuries in international cricket.
- Cricket’s Brand Ambassador: Virat Kohli is the newest brand ambassador of world cricket. His aggression on the cricket ground and humbleness outside the ground are appreciated by fans worldwide. He is one of the richest cricketers in the world, endorsing multiple Indian and international brands.
Also Read: Most Runs in Test Cricket
Who Called Kohli the King of Cricket in the World?
King Kohli is a notion that came from social media cricket fans. Soon, various commentators and cricket experts adopted the term. However, former Australian cricketer Dean Jones was the first to coin this term on the air during a cricket match commentary. Once, in an interview, Dean Jones opined that MS Dhoni should take retirement from test cricket and hand over the captaincy to Kohli. In the same interview, he referred to Virat as the king of cricket in the world.
Leading Run Scorer among Fab-4s
Modern cricket experts often use the term Fab-4s, which refers to four fabulous cricketers of the current generation. These four cricketers are Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, Virat Kohli, and Joe Root. So, who is the king of cricket among these four cricketers? Virat Kohli is ahead regarding technique, skills, fitness, and records. Most importantly, Virat is an all-format player, while Joe Root and Steve Smith could be better at the T20 cricket format. In terms of fitness, Kohli is ahead of Kane Williamson.
Virat Kohli vs. Babar Azam
Fans worldwide have celebrated the rivalry between India and Pakistan cricket teams. Both teams enjoy a massive fan following worldwide and are known for producing some of the greatest cricketers. While Virat is considered Sachin’s successor in Indian cricket, Babar Azam is the successor of Inzamam Ul-Haque in Pakistan cricket. So, who is the king of cricket among these two cricketers?
Comparing these two cricketers often becomes a topic of fan debate due to several similarities. Both of them run machines for their respective international teams. Both of them showed class in under-19 cricket. Moreover, both cricketers love playing classic cover drives. But Virat is still ahead of Babar due to his records and fitness. Babar has yet to prove himself in all formats of cricket, like Virat Kohli. Moreover, Babar needs more aggressive intent on the field.
Also Read: Most Runs in ODI Cricket
Most Centuries in ODI Cricket by the King of Cricket
While playing against New Zealand in the Semi-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, Virat scored his 50th ODI Century. With this, he now has the most centuries in ODI Cricket, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar. Sachin had scored 49 ODI centuries in his 24-year-long career. Kohli is now alone at the summit, and no other current player is close to him to break this record, which makes him the one and only King of Cricket.
Final Thoughts
Even though Virat Kohli is 35 years old, his fitness will keep him in the game for a few more years. So, King Kohli will continue to rule international cricket for 5–6 years. Therefore, the crown of the king of cricket goes to none other than King Kohli.
Also Read: Virat Kohli Total Centuries (ODI, T20I, Test, and IPL)
