IPL 2025: Who Leads Better? MS Dhoni vs Virat Kohli Captaincy Stats.
Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni’s IPL Captaincy Records: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) retained Virat Kohli for a record Rs 21 crore ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction, generating speculation about his possible return as captain. While there has been no official declaration, former RCB player AB de Villiers has speculated that Kohli may retake the leadership role.
Virat Kohli stood aside as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain before the IPL 2022, allowing Faf du Plessis to take him. However, with du Plessis likely to join the Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2025, the subject of RCB’s captaincy remains open. Kohli captained Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 143 matches, winning 66 of them for a win percentage of 46.15%. He is the only player to have led Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in more than 100 matches.
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MS Dhoni’s renowned captaincy for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) is unrivalled. Between 2008 and 2023, Dhoni captained CSK in 235 matches, winning 142 and winning the IPL title five times. Surpassing Dhoni’s fearsome record is a tall order for any leader, including Kohli.
If Virat Kohli returns as captain, RCB’s chances of winning their first IPL title may improve. Fans are impatiently awaiting an official announcement.
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Captaincy
Dhoni is often considered the most successful captain in all three formats of the game, but Dhoni has won more ICC tournaments and IPLs than Kohli.
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Batting
Kohli has scored more runs than Dhoni in both ODIs and Tests, with higher averages in both formats:
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Virat Kohli
|
MS Dhoni
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
ODIs
|
12,311 runs at 58.07 average
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10,773 runs at 50.58 average
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Tests
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7,962 runs at 50.39 average
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4,876 runs at 38.09 average
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Known for
Kohli is known for his aggression and for making fitness a priority under his captaincy. Dhoni is known for winning multiple ICC trophies, including the T20 World Cup, ODI World Cup, and Champions Trophy.
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FriendshipKohli and Dhoni are well-known for their friendship and have led India to many cricket victories. Kohli was selected for the Indian cricket team while Dhoni was the captain when India won the 2007 T20 World Cup.
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Dhoni vs Kohli Stats Comparison
The overall comparison of Kohli and Dhoni in different formats of cricket are:
Dhoni vs Kohli in Test
In the purest form of the game, which is considered the true test of a cricketer’s talent, let’s see how Dhoni & Kohli compare:
| Details | MS Dhoni | Virat Kohli |
|---|---|---|
| Matches Played | 90 | 108 |
| Innings Played | 144 | 183 |
| Total Runs | 4876 | 8416 |
| Highest Score | 224 | 254 |
| Not Outs | 16 | 11 |
| Average Runs | 38.09 | 48.93 |
| Balls Faced | 8248 | 15211 |
| Strike Rate | 59.12 | 55.33 |
| 4s | 544 | 941 |
| 6s | 78 | 24 |
| Half Centuries (50s) | 33 | 28 |
| Centuries (100s) | 6 | 28 |
| Double Centuries (200s) | 1 | 7 |
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Dhoni vs Kohli in ODI
In the 50-over format of the game, Dhoni & Kohli are pretty evenly matched. So let’s have a look at how their stats compare:
| Details | MS Dhoni | Virat Kohli |
|---|---|---|
| Matches Played | 350 | 274 |
| Innings Played | 297 | 265 |
| Total Runs | 10773 | 12898 |
| Highest Score | 183 | 183 |
| Not Outs | 84 | 40 |
| Average Runs | 50.58 | 57.32 |
| Balls Faced | 12303 | 13776 |
| Strike Rate | 87.56 | 93.63 |
| 4s | 826 | 1211 |
| 6s | 229 | 139 |
| Half Centuries (50s) | 73 | 65 |
| Centuries (100s) | 10 | 46 |
| Double Centuries (200s) | 0 | 0 |
Dhoni vs Kohli in T20
The shortest format of the game again sees the numbers skewed in favour of Virat Kohli in the Kohli vs Dhoni comparison:
| Details | MS Dhoni | Virat Kohli |
|---|---|---|
| Matches Played | 98 | 115 |
| Innings Played | 85 | 107 |
| Total Runs | 1617 | 4008 |
| Highest Score | 56 | 122 |
| Not Outs | 42 | 31 |
| Average Runs | 37.6 | 52.74 |
| Balls Faced | 1282 | 2905 |
| Strike Rate | 126.13 | 137.97 |
| 4s | 116 | 356 |
| 6s | 52 | 117 |
| Half Centuries (50s) | 2 | 37 |
| Centuries (100s) | 0 | 1 |
| Double Centuries (200s) | 0 | 0 |
Even though the numbers heavily favour Virat Kohli in the T20 format of the game. MS Dhoni is more known for his captaincy & number of wins in this format of the game. He has captained India to a T20 World Cup victory.
Dhoni vs Kohli in Indian T20 League
The Indian T20 League numbers are good for Virat Kohli as always, but Dhoni betters him on the average part. Let’s see how they compare first:
| Details | MS Dhoni | Virat Kohli |
|---|---|---|
| Matches Played | 241 | 230 |
| Innings Played | 211 | 222 |
| Total Runs | 5039 | 6903 |
| Highest Score | 84 | 113 |
| Not Outs | 83 | 33 |
| Average Runs | 39.37 | 36.52 |
| Balls Faced | 3713 | 5326 |
| Strike Rate | 135.71 | 129.61 |
| 4s | 348 | 603 |
| 6s | 235 | 229 |
| Half Centuries (50s) | 24 | 48 |
| Centuries (100s) | 0 | 5 |
| Double Centuries (200s) | 0 | 0 |
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