Team India’s Virat Kohli is recognized as one of the best batters of all time, particularly in white-ball formats. When it comes to one-day cricket, few batters in history have been as effective and consistent as the 36-year-old.
Kohli has has eclipsed the 14181 runs to be placed third in the all time list of the most prolific batsmen in one day cricket. Then in one day internationals only Sachin Tendulkar (18,426) and Kumar Sangakkara (14,234) have accumulated more runs than the former India captain. It can be debated whether he will or will not have a future in the game anymore but his legacy shall live on no matter what happens to his future career.
Aside from Tendulkar, Kohli has also been compared to West Indies batting star Brian Lara. In this piece, we compare Kohli and Lara’s ODI stats.
1. Virat Kohli vs Brian Lara – ODI Batting Average
Virat Kohli has also featured in 302 ODIs where he has amassed 14181 runs at average of 57.88. He has hit 14,000 runs or more and 2,451 of these runs have been against Australia in 50 matches, an average of 54.46. He is also the highest run scorer in 56 one Day Internationals against Sri Lanka with 2,652 runs at 60.27. The others are his averages against South Africa (65.39 in 31 games) and New Zealand (55.23 in 33 ODIs) in which Kohli has a fine record too.
Lara played 299 ODIs in his remarkable career, scoring 10,405 runs at an average of 40.48. The former West Indies captain scored 1,858 runs in 51 matches against Australia, averaging 39.53. He also scored 1,068 runs in 28 One-Day Internationals against New Zealand, with an average of 50.85. Furthermore, Lara averaged 43.19 in 48 matches against Pakistan and 48.78 in 25 games versus Sri Lanka.
2. Virat Kohli vs Brian Lara – ODI hundreds
Kohli has 51 hundreds in 302 matches, setting the format record. Of his 51 century, ten have been against Sri Lanka, nine against the West Indies, and eight against Australia. He has also scored six centuries against New Zealand, five against South Africa and Bangladesh, four against Pakistan, three against England, and one against Zimbabwe.
| Player | Innings | Runs | Average | SR | HS | 100s | 50s |
| Virat Kohli | 290 | 14,181 | 57.88 | 93.34 | 183 | 51 | 74 |
| Brian Lara | 289 | 10,405 | 40.48 | 79.51 | 169 | 19 | 63 |
Lara scored 19 hundreds in his one-day career. He scored five ODI tons against Pakistan, three apiece against Australia and South Africa. The southpaw also scored two tons against New Zealand and Sri Lanka, one apiece against England, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, and Kenya.
3. Virat Kohli vs Brian Lara – ODI Winning Records
Kohli has participated in 187 ODIs that India has won. In 180 innings, he has scored 10,324 runs with an average of 74.27 and a strikeout rate of 96.61. As many as 43 of his 51 hundreds have come in wins, with a best of 183 against Pakistan in Mirpur during the 2012 Asia Cup. Seven of his tons came in losses, with one in a tie.
| Player | Innings | Runs | Average | SR | HS | 100s | 50s |
| Virat Kohli | 180 | 10,324 | 74.27 | 96.91 | 183 | 43 | 45 |
| Brian Lara | 134 | 6,553 | 61.82 | 86.32 | 169 | 16 | 42 |
Lara appeared in 139 of his 299 ODIs, all of which he won. In 134 innings, he scored 6,553 runs with an average of 61.82 and a strike rate of 86.32. Lara’s hundreds included sixteen victories and three defeats. His top score of 169 was against Sri Lanka at Sharjah in 1995.
4. Virat Kohli vs Brian Lara – Record in away ODIs
Kohli conclusively makes it 121 ODIs outside of India. He scored 5,394 runs at an average of 54.48 and a strike rate of 90.79 with 21 centuries and 25 half-centuries in 115 innings. In neutral grounds, the right handed batsman averages 60.04 runs in 54 innings, 2462 runs, 6 tons and 15 half-centuries.
In his career, Lara was a player in 94 away ODIs. He managed to score 3,212 runs at an average of 37.78 with a strike rate of 77.13 in 93 innings comprising of six centuries and 21 half centuries. At neutral grounds he made 114 appearances. Lara collected 3,969 runs in 111 innings at an average of 40.09 with a strike rate of 81.93, seven tons and 22 fifties.
