Cricket is often described as a game of glorious uncertainties—but within its unpredictability lie patterns of greatness. Few rivalries and parallels in modern cricket capture this better than the batting journeys of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The three charts above don’t just show numbers; they tell a story of two icons carving their legacies side by side.

The Burst of Brilliance — Innings by Innings (2010–2025) in ODI

The first chart is a constellation of scores, each bubble a reflection of an innings. Rohit’s bursts of brilliance—those towering double-centuries (260+ in 2014, 200+ again in 2017)—stand like meteors that lit up the cricketing sky. His batting, explosive yet intermittent, paints a picture of peaks and pauses.

Kohli, on the other hand, shows a different rhythm. His innings scatter plot reveals consistency: frequent 70s, 80s, 100s, spread across years. While Rohit is the artist sketching masterpieces occasionally, Kohli is the diligent scribe, etching lines every single day.

Together, their plots reveal a dual narrative—flashes of Rohit’s rare dominance complemented by Kohli’s relentless march.

The Climb — Cumulative Runs Over Time in ODI

The second chart tells a story of accumulation, of building mountains over time. Kohli’s line surges early, a clear head-start. By 2013–2019, both players moved almost in tandem with steady growth, consistently piling up runs and strengthening India’s batting. This period reflects their golden phase, where Kohli’s relentlessness and Rohit’s blossoming as an opener elevated Indian cricket.

Post-2019, however, the chart shows a slowdown for both. Kohli’s once-steep climb starts to flatten, marked by leaner patches, while Rohit too faces a more measured ascent. The struggle and slowdown highlight the toll of years at the top, the challenges of form, fitness, and changing roles.

By 2025, Kohli still holds the summit with over 13,000 runs, but Rohit’s 10,500+ tells its own tale—less about chasing, more about carving a parallel legacy.

The Fluctuations — Yearly Averages in ODI

The third chart adds nuance. Kohli’s peaks—2016, 2017, 2018—show why he was called the “run machine,” with averages touching 80+. But since 2018, his average takes a roller-coaster ride with sharp fluctuations and then a clear decline, reflecting the leaner years—a reminder that even giants face storms.

Rohit’s curve, meanwhile, shows a different rhythm. After early volatility (2011–2012), he steadied into a consistent average between 2013 and 2020, giving India reliability at the top. His stability contrasts Kohli’s roller-coaster, reinforcing how their styles complement each other.

Interestingly, in recent years (2022–2024), their averages converge, almost as if destiny scripted a balance—two careers that began differently, now standing shoulder to shoulder.

The Story Beyond the Numbers

The third chart adds nuance to the tale. Kohli’s peaks—2016, 2017, 2018—show why he was called the “run machine,” with averages touching 80+. But since 2018, his graph takes a roller-coaster ride with sharp ups and downs, followed by a noticeable decline, reminding us that even the best face storms.

Rohit’s curve, meanwhile, shows a steadier rhythm. After early volatility (2011–2012), he locked into consistency between 2013 and 2020, giving India a reliable opening anchor. His steadiness stands in contrast to Kohli’s roller-coaster, highlighting how their styles balance one another—one the master of stability, the other the emblem of intensity.

In recent years (2022–2024), their averages converge, almost as if destiny scripted a balance—two careers that began differently, now standing shoulder to shoulder.

Together, these charts narrate a tale of two contrasting yet complementary batting legacies:

• Kohli, the Pursuer of Perfection: Relentless, consistent, accumulating runs like clockwork. His greatness lies in volume and dependability.
• Rohit, the Artist of Explosions: When he scores, he paints it big—double centuries, match-winning knocks, bursts of fireworks that remain etched forever.

The numbers show us more than just cricketing achievements. They reveal life lessons: Kohli’s story of discipline and consistency, Rohit’s story of patience and timing. Greatness, after all, can take many shapes—sometimes in the steady accumulation of bricks, sometimes in the sudden brilliance of fireworks.

In the grand book of Indian cricket, the chapters of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will always be written side by side—different fonts, same golden ink.

For readers who are curious, this blog only explores ODI statistics—dive deeper into their Test match records to discover another dimension of their greatness.