AB de Villiers claims Kohli surpassed Tendulkar in Test cricket
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 20, 2026, 11:17 AM
Last updated Aug 20, 2026
AB de Villiers praised Virat Kohli for elevating India's performance in overseas Test cricket, following India's recent 165-run victory over Sri Lanka in Galle. De Villiers acknowledged Sachin Tendulkar's pioneering role but argued that Kohli has redefined excellence for subcontinent players in challenging conditions. While Tendulkar remains the highest run-scorer in Test cricket with 15,921 runs, Kohli concluded his career with 9,230 runs. De Villiers highlighted the ongoing influence of both players on the current generation of Indian batters, including KL Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal, who are expected to continue this trend.
- •India secured a 165-run victory over Sri Lanka in Galle.
- •AB de Villiers rated Kohli as superior to Tendulkar in Tests.
- •Tendulkar scored 8,705 runs in overseas Tests; Kohli scored 4,774.
- •De Villiers highlighted the influence of Tendulkar and Kohli on young batters.
- •KL Rahul needs to improve his overseas Test batting average of 34.
- 3:20 PMYahoo Sports — Virat Kohli a stronger batsman than Sachin Tendulkar? Former India bowler ridicules AB de Villiers' controversial statement
- 11:17 AMYahoo Sports — 'Virat Kohli was better than Sachin Tendulkar in Tests': AB de Villiers makes huge claim
"In a recent statement, AB de Villiers commended Virat Kohli for taking India's Test batting to new heights on foreign soil, following in the footsteps of Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar was the first to show that subcontinent players could thrive in tough situations, but de Villiers argues that Kohli has redefined excellence.
"A former India bowler ridiculed AB de Villiers' claim that Virat Kohli was a stronger overseas Test batsman than Sachin Tendulkar. Read the stats and reactions.
Sources
External links- Yahoo SportsAug 20, 2026, 3:20 PMVirat Kohli a stronger batsman than Sachin Tendulkar? Former India bowler ridicules AB de Villiers' controversial statement
A former India bowler ridiculed AB de Villiers' claim that Virat Kohli was a stronger overseas Test batsman than Sachin Tendulkar. Read the stats and reactions.
- Yahoo SportsAug 20, 2026, 11:17 AM'Virat Kohli was better than Sachin Tendulkar in Tests': AB de Villiers makes huge claim
In a recent statement, AB de Villiers commended Virat Kohli for taking India's Test batting to new heights on foreign soil, following in the footsteps of Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar was the first to show that subcontinent players could thrive in tough situations, but de Villiers argues that Kohli has redefined excellence.
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