AB De Villiers Rates Virat Kohli's Overseas Impact Above Sachin Tendulkar

Former South Africa batter AB de Villiers has praised Virat Kohli for taking India’s overseas batting standards to another level, while acknowledging Sachin Tendulkar as the player who first demonstrated that Indian batters could consistently succeed in challenging conditions abroad. De Villiers made the remarks after India secured a 165-run victory over Sri Lanka in the Galle Test on Wednesday, reflecting on the influence of both Indian batting legends.

De Villiers said Tendulkar played an important role in changing perceptions about Indian batters outside the subcontinent, particularly in countries where pitches traditionally offered greater assistance to fast bowlers. According to him, Tendulkar showed that an Indian batter could perform effectively against pace and bounce in overseas conditions. However, he felt Kohli subsequently pushed those expectations higher through his performances and leadership during India's successful period in Test cricket away from home.

The statistics provide significant context to the comparison. Tendulkar remains the highest run-scorer in Test cricket history, finishing his career with 15,921 runs from 200 matches. Around 8,705 of those runs came outside India, making him the leading Indian batter in terms of Test runs scored overseas. Kohli, who retired from Test cricket in May 2025, ended his career with 9,230 runs from 123 Tests, including 4,774 runs in 66 Tests played outside India.

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The difference is also visible in performances across SENA countries — South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia — where batting conditions are traditionally regarded as more demanding for players from the subcontinent. Tendulkar scored 5,387 runs in 63 Tests in these countries at an average of 51.30, including 17 centuries and 23 fifties. Kohli accumulated 3,661 runs in 46 Tests at an average of 42.08, with 12 centuries and 14 fifties. Despite these numbers, de Villiers' assessment appears to focus heavily on Kohli's broader impact on India's Test team and the standards he helped establish.

De Villiers also pointed to the influence of both Tendulkar and Kohli on the current generation of Indian batters. He mentioned KL Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal as players who have followed the example set by the two former India stars and have sought to improve their performances in overseas conditions. He particularly highlighted Rahul's technique and importance to the Indian batting line-up but suggested that the batter needs to convert good starts into significantly bigger scores when playing away from home.

According to de Villiers, Rahul's overseas average of around 34 does not fully reflect his ability, and he should aim to turn centuries into much larger innings when opportunities arise. He argued that a batter capable of reaching three figures should look to continue batting deep into an innings rather than settling for a century. De Villiers' comments ultimately placed Tendulkar and Kohli within a broader evolution of Indian Test cricket, with Tendulkar opening the door for overseas success and Kohli helping establish an even higher benchmark for the generations that followed.

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