Former India fast bowler Dodda Ganesh has taken a cheeky dig at South African great AB de Villiers after he rated Virat Kohli ahead of Sachin Tendulkar in overseas Test conditions, sparking a fresh debate among cricket fans.

De Villiers, who shares a close friendship with Kohli from their time together at Royal Challengers Bangalore, recently said Kohli was a stronger batter than Tendulkar in seam-friendly and bouncy conditions. While praising Tendulkar for pioneering the trend of subcontinent batters succeeding overseas, the former South Africa batter felt Kohli took that legacy to another 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. 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," de Villiers said.

Ganesh, however, was having none of it. The former India pacer responded to the comments on X with a blunt one-liner: "Pass on the weed, brother."

Tendulkar's overseas record speaks for itself

While de Villiers' friendship with Kohli may have influenced his assessment, Tendulkar's overseas Test numbers provide a formidable counterargument. The Master Blaster scored 8,705 runs in 106 overseas Tests at an average of 54.74, including 29 centuries. Kohli, by comparison, has 4,894 runs in 68 overseas Tests at an average of 41.51.

In every country except the West Indies, Tendulkar has a better Test record than Kohli — though the former's considerably longer career is an important factor to consider.

Longevity vs peak dominance

Tendulkar's longevity was remarkable, particularly evident towards the end of his career. In his final four years, he scored 2,951 runs, eight centuries and 14 fifties in 29 Tests. Kohli, in contrast, managed 1,912 runs in 36 Tests between 2020 and 2025.

Tendulkar's late-career resurgence was extraordinary. In 2010, aged 37, he scored more than 1,500 runs in 14 Tests, including seven centuries — posting 213 against South Africa, 390 against Sri Lanka and 403 against Australia. He carried that form into 2011, scoring 326 runs in three Tests in South Africa and completing his 50th and 51st Test centuries.

Kohli's unique achievements

That said, Kohli has several Test achievements that Tendulkar does not. He scored four centuries in the 2014-15 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, led India to their first-ever Test series win in Australia, and produced two outstanding calendar years — 1,215 runs in 2016 and 1,322 in 2018. He also scored 650-plus runs in a Test series on two occasions.

In 2018, Kohli scored 697 runs in England, including three centuries, and became the first Indian to score four double-centuries in a calendar year. As captain, he transformed India's approach to Test cricket and led the team to a historic series win in Australia.

The debate rages on

There is little debate over Kohli's standing in white-ball cricket, where his record places him among the very best to have played the game. But when the comparison is specifically about Test cricket — and overseas conditions in particular — de Villiers' assessment is certain to remain deeply contentious.

With thousands of fans already weighing in on social media, the Kohli vs Tendulkar debate shows no signs of cooling down anytime soon.