Nicholas Pooran vs Virat Kohli — IPL 2026 Fantasy Cricket Stats Comparison

Nicholas Pooran vs Virat Kohli is one of the most searched cricket comparisons, combining international career stats with IPL fantasy data. Both players bring different strengths to your XI, and the right choice can be the difference between topping the leaderboard or missing out.

Nicholas Pooran is a wicket-keeper batter for Lucknow Super Giants, priced at 10 Cr this season. Over 14 matches in IPL 2026, he has scored a total of 465 fantasy points, averaging 33 pts per game with a best of 134 pts. With the bat he has accumulated 234 IPL runs at a strike rate of 127.9.

International career: Nicholas Pooran has scored 2,177 T20I runs in 105 matches at an average of 25.31, with 12 half-centuries internationally. In ODIs, he has 1,829 runs across 57 matches (avg 38.9).

Virat Kohli is a specialist batter for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, priced at 11 Cr. Across 15 matches in IPL 2026, he has earned 1160 fantasy points, averaging 77 pts per game with a best of 206 pts. He has scored 600 IPL runs at a strike rate of 164.4. He has won 2 MOTM awards this season.

International career: Virat Kohli has scored 14,675 ODI runs in 308 matches at an average of 58.70, with 54 centuries internationally. He has also taken 5 ODI wickets at an average of 136.00 with an economy of 6.16. In TESTs, he has 9,230 runs across 123 matches (avg 46.9).

Batting edge: Virat Kohli leads with the bat this season, making them the better pick if the pitch is expected to be batting-friendly or if the match is being played on a flat track.

Fantasy Impact: From a pure fantasy perspective, Virat Kohli is the stronger pick right now with an average of 77 pts per game and a best score of 206 pts. The value-for-money metric (points per credit) further reinforces this — always check this number before finalising your captain or vice-captain choice.

Captaincy Recommendation: Based on IPL 2026 season form, Virat Kohli is the safer captaincy option. However, if the opposition's bowling or batting lineup suits the other player, consider rotating your captain pick. Always check the playing XI, pitch report, and toss result before locking in your captain.

Stats are updated after every IPL 2026 match. Compare more players using our Player Comparison Tool or check the Fantasy Leaderboard to see how top managers are building their teams.