The Oddsworth Smell Test
Claim
“Virat Kohli has become a home track bully in ODIs since the 2019 World Cup, with poor returns outside India.”
Half right
Data In men’s ODIs since the 2019 World Cup, excluding matches against Afghanistan, Kohli averages 47.6 outside India, above Shreyas Iyer’s 42 and KL Rahul’s 40.8.
Kohli has been at his most productive in India, where his average reaches 64.5, comfortably above his return overseas. That is a substantial drop when he leaves home, and the difference deserves to be taken seriously.
His hundreds also favour India, with nine at home against five overseas. Those overseas hundreds still carry weight: across 33 innings outside India, he has continued to give the batting order substantial contributions. India have had a more productive version of Kohli at home, but his usefulness overseas needs judging against the other Indian batters alongside him.
Where he stands overseas
Among India’s batters with at least 15 innings outside India over that period, Shubman Gill averages 57.5 and Rohit Sharma 53.3, both ahead of Kohli.
He remains ahead of Shikhar Dhawan, too. That leaves him behind the leading pair and above several established batting colleagues. Gill and Sharma deserve the stronger endorsement overseas; Kohli’s returns still earn him a respected place in that company. The claim is right about the drop away from home and wrong about those returns being poor.