Sahibzada Farhan Vs Virat Kohli - Statistical Comparison Of Two Top T20 World Cup Heroes

Analysing who out of Kohli and Sahibzada had a better World Cup campaign [Source: X]

After 12 years of waiting, Virat Kohli’s long-standing record of most runs scored in a single edition of the T20 World Cup was shattered by Pakistan’s opening batter, Sahibzada Farhan. He achieved the massive feat against Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup Super 8 match on Saturday.

In the 2014 edition, the former India captain had scored 319 runs in six innings as India reached the finals of the marquee event, and Kohli played a huge part in India’s success. Farhan, on the other hand, eclipsed the feat in the six T20 World Cup innings, but couldn’t help Pakistan reach the semifinals.

Scoring in excess of 300 is never easy in a T20 World Cup tournament, and the question arises: who had a better World Cup campaign? India’s Virat Kohli, or Pakistan star, Sahibzada Farhan?

Virat Kohli vs Sahibzada Farhan: T20 World Cup runs scored

(Kohli vs Sahibzada Farhan in T20 World Cup 2014, 2026)

• Kohli’s 2014 World Cup performance was iconic as the batter almost single-handedly carried India into the finals of the marquee event. He scored 319 runs in six innings, with an average crossing the 100-mark (106.33), and a strike rate of almost 130.
• Some might say that a strike rate of 129.15 is on the slower side, but we must consider the fact that he played those knocks 12 years ago, when T20 cricket was different, and the pitches in Bangladesh were conducive towards the spin-bowlers.
• On paper, Sahibzada Farhan’s statistics look way better than Kohli's, as he scored more runs and had a higher strike-rate.
• Just like Kohli, Farhan was also his team’s lone warrior, as he single-handedly dragged his side into the Super 8 and kept their semifinals dream alive with a century against Sri Lanka.

Also Read: Pakistan Star Sahibzada Farhan Hunts Down Virat Kohli's T20 World Cup Record

However, despite boasting better numbers on paper, there is a catch that everyone is forgetting, and that is covered in the next topic.

Opponents faced by Kohli and Sahibzada

Opponents faced by Kohli

Opponents faced by Sahibzada Farhan

• If we look at the opponents the two players faced, there is a clear daylight in terms of quality. Kohli tackled six teams, and each of them was a quality opponent. Pakistan, West Indies, Australia, Bangladesh, South Africa, and Sri Lanka, he slammed runs against world-class attacks.
• Moreover, he scored fifties in the knockouts (semis and finals), and single-handedly won the semifinals against the South African side. His knocks came in pressure situation.
• On the other hand, out of six innings, Sahibzada’s best knocks came against Sri Lanka, and England, and when he faced the best side of the tournament (India), he failed to deliver the goods.
• Even though history would suggest that Sahibzada has scored more than Kohli, the quality of the opponent should also be kept in mind.

Difference in pitch quality should also be considered

Back in 2014, the T20 World Cup was played in Bangladesh, and the pitches there were slow and sluggish, often supporting the bowlers. The stroke-making was difficult, and the batters had to grind hard to score runs. Take, for example the finale between India and Sri Lanka.

India scored just 130/4 in their 20 overs, and out of 130, Kohli slammed 77, while the rest of the batters couldn’t touch the ball.

That is not the case for Sahibzada, who has done extremely well for Pakistan in the T20 World Cup, but he still played on wickets that were conducive for hitting, and wasn’t too favourable towards the bowlers.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that the Pakistan opener had a dream World Cup campaign, and the record of 383 runs will be hard to shatter, but it is also to be remembered that Kohli’s runs took India to the finals, and he scored runs against the best in the business, unlike Sahibzada, who slammed truckloads of runs against the associate nations.

Both the batters carried their batting in the tournament, but for his run-scoring on tricky Bangladesh wickets, and that too in the knockouts, Kohli’s campaign edges Sahibzada’s 2026 feat.

Also Read: Shoaib Akhtar Grills Mohsin Naqvi After Pakistan's Embarrassing T20 World Cup Exit