‘Tendulkar Wasn’t as Strong as Kohli’: De Villiers Settles India’s Best Overseas Test Batter Debate

South Africa batting great AB de Villiers has weighed into the debate over India’s finest overseas Test batter, delivering a verdict that places Virat Kohli above the iconic Sachin Tendulkar not on numbers alone, but on the transformative impact Kohli had on Indian cricket’s mindset away from home.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, de Villiers acknowledged Tendulkar as the pioneer who first demonstrated that subcontinent batters could excel in seaming and bouncy conditions. However, he argued that Kohli took that blueprint and elevated it to an entirely new level.

“I think of someone like Sachin Tendulkar way back, who started that trend for India. Yet, he wasn’t as strong as someone like Virat Kohli, who was even better,” de Villiers said. “But Sachin was the first guy to show that as a subcontinent batter, you can do well in bouncy and seaming conditions. Virat took that forward and raised the bar.”

The statistics, however, tell a more complex story. Tendulkar remains the highest run-scorer in Test history with 15,921 runs and a record 51 centuries. His overseas record is formidable: an average of 55 from 176 innings away from home. Kohli, who retired from Tests in 2025, finished with 9,230 runs in 123 matches at an overall average of 46.85. His away average stands at 41 from 68 Tests, significantly lower than Tendulkar’s.

The Kohli Effect

De Villiers’ argument rests less on raw numbers and more on the cultural shift Kohli inspired. The former South Africa captain suggested that Kohli’s success abroad paved the way for a generation of Indian batters to believe they could dominate in foreign conditions.

“Because of that, there are quite a few players now like KL Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal, who have started to up that trend and follow in the footsteps of a Virat and a Sachin,” de Villiers added.

Yet even as he praised the new wave, de Villiers pointed to one area where he believes Rahul must improve. The 34-year-old, who contributed a valuable 81 in India’s recent Galle Test victory over Sri Lanka, averages only 34 away from home.

“KL is a guy with sound technique and is a big asset in that Indian lineup. But he averages only 34 away from home. So you’ll expect more and that is one area where he has to work on,” de Villiers said. “He has to get bigger scores once he gets in and not just get a 100 but make it a 180 because that first-ball duck and getting out to the newish ball is always around the corner. So for him, the name of the game will be to make the big scores even bigger.”

The debate over India’s finest overseas batter is unlikely to reach a definitive conclusion. Tendulkar’s longevity and statistical dominance across two decades remain unmatched, while Kohli’s aggressive captaincy and personal consistency during India’s most successful overseas period have left an indelible mark.

Padikkal, for his part, cracked a maiden Test hundred at No. 3 in Galle as India secured a 165-run win, offering fresh evidence of the pipeline de Villiers believes Kohli and Tendulkar helped establish. Whether the next generation can match the standards set by either of the two greats remains the enduring question.

                                               

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