MS Dhoni Vs Virat Kohli - Who Is The Best Captain?

Table of content: About MS Dhoni AboutVirat Kohli Captaincy in Tests Captaincy in ODI Captaincy in T20Is MS Dhoni vs Virat Batting Statistics There has been quite a lot of debate, especially among the people of the recent generation, about “Who Is Better, Captain Kohli or Dhoni”. Both are great batsmen. Virat Kohli is considered to be one of the most prolific run-scorers of all time across all three formats. On the other hand, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, famously known as “Captain Cool”, is admired as the best finisher in the game. If we look at the batting statistics, then Virat Kohli undoubtedly has the upper hand in the comparison, but captaincy is a different ball game altogether.

GetMega Rummy is an amazing platform that lets you play rummy with friends & family with real money. Sounds fun, isn't it? Download the GetMega rummy app now! About MS Dhoni Mahendra Singh Dhoni is hailed as the greatest finisher in cricket history. He is the only captain who has led his team to win all formats of the ICC tournaments in limited-overs cricket. MSD has scored more than 15000 runs across all three formats and is known for his game-finishing abilities. India has achieved new highs during his captaincy. He has successfully pulled the Indian Cricket Team up on many occasions to a respectable position after the top-order collapse. Captain cool has also led his team to win the IPL 4 times. Currently, he has taken retirement from international cricket but continues playing IPL. In 2018, he was honored with the Padma Bhushan for his contribution to Indian cricket.

About Virat Kohli Virat Kohli is the former captain of the Indian national cricket team. He is renowned as the "King of Cricket" and is considered one of the finest batsmen in the world. Kohli is known as a run machine who rules the bowlers in almost every format of the game. In ODIs, he is called the ‘Chase Master’ for his chasing ability while batting second. Until now, Kohli has scored 70 centuries in international cricket and is better known for his aggressive style of playing. The former captain was awarded the Padma Shri in 2017.

Now, let’s find the answer to the most debated question, Dhoni Vs Kohli - Who is the better captain?

Captaincy in Tests MS Dhoni

Virat Kohli

Match

60

68

Wins

27

40

Loss

18

17

Draw

15

11

Win%

45

58.82

If we see the stats, we can see that Kohli is clearly ahead of MS Dhoni in test captaincy. Kohli led India to the final of the ICC World Test Championship. Dhoni got most of his wins at home, but the Kohli-led Indian team has won many test matches outside India. But we shouldn’t forget that Kohli got India’s best-ever pace bowling attack like Mohammad Shami and Jasprit Bumrah, who led Team India to victory on foreign soil.

Captaincy in ODI MS Dhoni

Virat Kohli

Match

200

95

Wins

110

65

Loss

74

27

Tied

5

1

No Result

11

2

Win%

59.5

70.43

If we look at the stats, we will perceive that Virat Kohli is a better captain than MS Dhoni in ODIs also. But let’s not forget about the wins led by Dhoni in the ICC World Cup 2011 and the Champions Trophy 2013. In contrast, Virat hasn’t won any ICC tournament. Dhoni built the team from the scratch after the 2007 world cup failure, which wasn’t the case for Kohli. When Virat Kohli took over the captaincy baton from MSD, he got a well-established team. So, considering it all, we can say Dhoni has the upper hand in this comparison.

Captaincy in T20Is MS Dhoni

Virat Kohli

Match

72

50

Wins

41

30

Loss

28

16

Tied

1

2

No Result

2

Win%

59.2

64.58

Here also, though Virat Kohli has a slightly higher percentage of wins, the T20 world cup triumph in its inaugural edition in 2007 adds a huge mark in MS Dhoni’s T20 captaincy record. Despite being in a challenging situation facing a new format with a new team, MS Dhoni pulled it off with his presence of mind. So clearly, MS Dhoni is a better T20 captain than Kohli. In fact, he is the best T20 captain in Indian cricket history.

So, who is the best captain, Virat or Dhoni? Considering all parameters, it can be said that Dhoni has been the most successful captain in limited-overs cricket. On the contrary, Virat Kohli has been more successful in Test cricket. Overall, we can say that Dhoni is a better captain than Kohli as Kohli doesn’t possess any ICC trophy in his cabinet.

MS Dhoni vs Virat Batting Statistics Let’s compare the format-wise overall stats:

MS Dhoni vs Virat in Test Cricket The oldest format of cricket tests a batter in all possible ways. It tests determination, technique, and courage. Let’s look at the stats-

MS Dhoni

Virat Kohli

Matches

90

102

Innings

144

173

Runs

4876

8074

Average

38.09

49.53

Hundreds

6

27

Fifties

33

28

Best

224

254*

The numbers of Virat Kohli justify why he is rated so high in test cricket. He is very consistent. On the other hand, MS Dhoni doesn't have a very good record in test cricket.

MS Dhoni vs Virat in ODIs In a 50-over cricket format, their stats are neck to neck.

MS Dhoni

Virat Kohli

Matches

350

260

Innings

297

251

Runs

10773

12311

Average

50.58

58.07

Strike Rate

87.56

92.92

Hundreds

10

43

Double Hundreds

0

Fifties

73

64

Best

183*

183

If you go by stats, then both the batters have a fantastic record in the ODIs. But one shouldn’t forget that Dhoni bats in the middle order and doesn’t get many chances to bat. Generally, he bats at the dying moments of an innings. On the other hand, Virat Kohli bats at number 3 and has an unmatchable record while chasing, making him renowned as ‘The Chase Master’. So, both batsmen are best at their respective roles and have several records on their names. Both batters are good and can destroy opponents single-handedly on their good day.

MS Dhoni vs Virat in T20Is In the shortest format of the game, both the batters have an excellent record.

Stat

MS Dhoni

Virat Kohli

Matches

98

97

Innings

85

89

Runs

1617

3296

Average

37.6

51.5

Strike Rate

126.13

137.68

Hundreds

0

Fifties

2

30

Best

56

94*

According to the stats, Virat Kohli has the upper hand in T20Is. But Dhoni bats in the middle order and doesn’t get many chances to bat. He mostly comes in a situation when one has to throw his bat at every ball. So, it won’t be fair to compare them.

So, who is the better batsman among Dhoni and Kohli? If we look closely at the stats and consider all the formats and parameters, one can clearly say that Virat Kohli is a better batsman than Dhoni. King Kohli is the most prolific run-getter in recent times, but we shouldn’t compare these two legends. Both are best in their respective roles and have played flawlessly in the Indian Cricket Team.

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