Joe Root Picks His Side In Sachin Tendulkar vs Virat Kohli Comparison

Virat Kohli, Joe Root and Sachin Tendulkar [Source: AFP]Sachin Tendulkar vs Virat Kohli is a comparison that refuses to disappear from cricket conversations. Fans, former players and experts have repeatedly placed the two batting giants side by side, looking at numbers, longevity, records and the eras in which they dominated. The debate has now found another famous voice in England’s Joe Root, who himself is on the verge of breaking Sachin's records. During a light-hearted “Winner Stays On” game, Root was asked to keep choosing between some of cricket’s greatest batters. His sequence of choices eventually brought him to the Sachin-Kohli question.Joe Root picks Sachin Tendulkar over Virat KohliRoot’s journey through the “Winner Stays On” game took a few turns before the Tendulkar-Kohli debate arrived. He initially picked Steve Smith iver himself, before moving to Ricky Ponting and then Jacques Kallis. Once Kallis became his choice, Root kept him there for quite some time, overlooking names such as Alastair Cook, Kumar Sangakkara and Brian Lara as the game continued.Also Read- After Sachin Tendulkar, Joe Root Breaks Virat Kohli's Massive WTC RecordThe England batter eventually moved away from Kallis and selected Sachin Tendulkar. That set up the direct comparison of Tendulkar or Virat Kohli? Root went with Tendulkar.England's Barmy Army 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🎺 @TheBarmyArmy When Joe Root played winner stays on 👀 What do you think? Sep 20, 2026, 1:30 PM Importantly, Root’s choice was not presented as a comparison limited to Tests, ODIs or T20Is. The “Winner Stays On” game was about an overall choice between elite batters, making Root’s selection a broader career-and-era comparison rather than a verdict on one particular format.Tendulkar vs Kohli: Who is the GOAT?The comparison of numbers explain why the debate remains difficult. Tendulkar finished his international career with 15,921 Test runs at 53.78 and 18,426 ODI runs at 44.83, including 51 Test hundreds and 49 ODI hundreds. He played 200 Tests and 463 ODIs, giving his career an extraordinary span across formats and generations.Kohli’s record is built around a different career arc. He has scored 9,230 Test runs at 46.85, 14,941 ODI runs at 58.59 and 4,188 T20I runs at 48.69. His ODI record includes 54 centuries, while his Test tally stands at 30 hundreds. Unlike Tendulkar, Kohli also became a major figure in T20Is, finishing with a strike rate of 137.04 in the format.There is a difference in the statistical shape of their careers. Tendulkar accumulated 34,357 international runs across Tests, ODIs and his lone T20I appearance, while Kohli’s listed international totals add up to 28,359. Nevertheless, no matter what the raw data explains, both remain closely associated with the defining batting standards of their respective eras.Which other cricketers than Joe Root preferred Sachin Tendulkar over Virat Kohli?Before Joe Root, Australia legend Ricky Ponting has publicly described Tendulkar as the best batter he had seen or played against, while also pointing to the differences between eras and suggesting Kohli’s career should be assessed after it concludes.Mohammad Kaif has also placed Tendulkar ahead in Tests. His argument centres on the bowling attacks Tendulkar faced, citing names such as Dale Steyn, Shoaib Akhtar, Brett Lee and Allan Donald.Aakash Chopra has similarly highlighted Tendulkar’s era-specific challenges, including difficult batting conditions and the enormous expectations surrounding him as India’s premier batting figure.Ultimately, Tendulkar and Kohli represent two different chapters of elite batting. Root’s choice adds another notable voice to the conversation, but their records show why both can be regarded as greats in their own eras.Also Read- Zimbabwe’s Craig Ervine Sets New ODI World Record