Virat Kohli at 37: How does he stack up against greats Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting at the same age

Virat Kohli, turning 37, is compared with legends Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, and Brian Lara.

The King of Indian Cricket, Virat Kohli, turns 37 today. The day presents an opportune moment to evaluate one of cricket’s most accomplished careers through empirical comparison. With his Test career concluded, his T20I tenure culminating in a World Cup triumph, and his ODI legacy still evolving, a comprehensive assessment against cricket’s most prominent benchmarks —Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, and Brian Lara —becomes both feasible and instructive.

Brian Lara, Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting(AFP, X images)

Each of these batters redefined excellence within their respective eras: Tendulkar through unprecedented longevity and technical precision, Ponting through sustained dominance and championship success, and Lara through artistic stroke play and record-breaking volume. Kohli’s credentials warrant consideration not as a successor but as a contemporary peer within this distinguished cohort.

Test cricket performance at 37

Test career comparison of players at age 37. (HT)

ODI performance at 37

Comparison of ODI records of players at age 37 (HT)

ICC Tournament Success by Age 37

ICC titles of the players at age 37 (HT)

Analysis

At age 37, Sachin Tendulkar had accumulated exceptional volume across formats. His tally of runs had exceeded 13,000 Test runs and 17,000 ODI runs, establishing him as the most prolific batter of his generation.

Ricky Ponting’s record synthesizes individual achievement with collective success. He had three World Cup victories and two Champions Trophy titles, representing an unparalleled captaincy legacy.

Brian Lara’s statistical profile demonstrates technical mastery with a Test average approaching 55, complemented by multiple triple centuries and the historic 400, despite the absence of an ICC World Cup triumph.

Virat Kohli’s career architecture differs structurally. His Test contributions concluded at 9,230 runs, while his T20I career culminated with a World Championship. His ODI body of work remains active, surpassing 14,000 runs with 51 centuries.

Where Kohli’s early-career Test volume appears modest relative to Tendulkar or Ponting, his modern-era batting averages exceed 45 in both ODI and T20I formats, with a chase success rate that establishes new benchmarks for consistency under pressure.

Conclusion

The evolution of batting excellence across three decades, from Lara’s classical technique through Ponting’s aggressive captaincy to Tendulkar’s sustained brilliance, positions Kohli as a synthesis rather than a successor. His record at age 37 establishes membership within this elite group: a Test legacy, a historic ODI production still in progress, a T20 World Cup concluded as match-winner, and leadership credentials across cricket’s premier stages.

Contemporary assessment of greatness extends beyond aggregate statistics to encompass contextual influence and cross-format adaptability. By this comprehensive measure, Virat Kohli has transcended aspiration to achieve parity with cricket’s defining batters.