Jacques Kallis
Virat Kohli
Stat by stat
Bars are scaled to the leader in this list.
The verdict
Dead even across the measured categories. Our all-time ranking places Jacques Kallis at #7 and Virat Kohli at #12.
Head-to-head FAQ
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The case for Jacques Kallis
Jacques Kallis was the most complete all-rounder of the modern era and, statistically, one of the greatest cricketers ever. He scored 13,289 Test runs at 55.37 with 45 centuries, figures that alone would rank him among the finest batsmen, and took 292 Test wickets with genuine fast-medium pace, plus over 200 catches at slip. Across formats he passed 25,000 international runs and 500 wickets, a double no one else has achieved at that level. Kallis batted with granite orthodoxy for South Africa, often anchoring the order, while his bowling gave his captain a genuine extra seam option. Undemonstrative and sometimes overlooked beside flashier contemporaries, he compiled a body of work whose sheer breadth, elite batting and Test-class bowling sustained for two decades, is arguably unmatched in the game's history.
The case for Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is the defining batsman of the post-2010 era and the greatest chaser of a target the one-day game has seen. Since debuting in 2008 he has scored more than 27,000 international runs and, as of early 2025, over 80 international centuries, including a record 50-plus ODI hundreds that surpassed Tendulkar's long-standing mark. His genius is at its clearest pursuing totals: his average in successful ODI run chases sits far above anyone else's, built on immaculate placement, running between the wickets, and control of tempo. Kohli scored heavily across all three formats, led India to the top of the Test rankings, and drove a new standard of fitness and intensity in the modern game. His 82 not out against Pakistan at the 2022 T20 World Cup is among the most celebrated innings of the era. He remains the benchmark for consistency and competitive hunger in contemporary batting.