Joe Root vs Tendulkar vs Kohli: Runs, Centuries & Net Worth

Few cricketers spark the kind of cross-era debate that Joe Root, Virat Kohli, and Sachin Tendulkar do. If you’ve ever wondered whether Root can actually chase down Tendulkar’s monumental Test run record — or how he really stacks up against Kohli’s sheer volume of centuries — you’re not alone.

Joe Root: English Test captain, 36 centuries, youngest English player to 10,000 Test runs ·
Sachin Tendulkar: India legend, 100 international centuries, all-time Test run leader (15,921) ·
Virat Kohli: India captain, 80 international centuries, highest Test average among current Fab Four ·
Net Worth Comparison: Kohli ~$120M, Tendulkar ~$170M, Root ~$15M

Three players, one pattern: each dominated a different era of Test cricket. Here’s how their core numbers stack up side by side.

Will Joe Root overtake Tendulkar?

Current run tally comparison

Root became only the second batter in Test history to pass 14,000 runs, joining Sachin Tendulkar — as reported by Rediff (sports news). Tendulkar finished his Test career with 15,921 runs, a mark Root now trails by less than 2,000 runs as of early 2025, according to Hindustan Times (Indian daily).

Root’s Test batting average was reported as 50.77 when he crossed 14,000 Test runs — a figure that sits above Kohli’s career Test average of 49+ but below Tendulkar’s 53.78, per Rediff (sports news).

Age and form factor

Root’s recent form is staggering: he averaged 63.76 in 2022, 76.33 in 2023, 63.38 in 2024, and 57.70 in 2025, according to Hindustan Times (Indian daily). Over that four-year stretch, he scored 5,954 runs with 23 centuries and 17 fifties.

Root passed Ricky Ponting and Jacques Kallis to become the second-highest run-scorer in Test cricket, behind only Tendulkar, as noted by Hindustan Times (Indian daily).

The implication: If Root maintains his current average of 57+ over the next 30-35 innings, he could close the gap within 2-3 years. But that requires avoiding the age-related decline that hit most batters after 35. Tendulkar himself averaged 49 in his final two years — still elite, but a noticeable drop from his peak.

How much does Joe Root get paid?

ECB central contract

Root’s ECB salary is estimated at £1M/year, ranking him among England’s top earners but far below the IPL-driven wealth of Kohli and Tendulkar. According to MensXP (lifestyle & sports), Root is the second-richest active English cricketer, behind Ben Stokes (~$20M).

Multiple endorsement deals supplement his income, though Root has never pursued the volume of commercial partnerships that Kohli and Tendulkar have in India’s massive market.

IPL earnings

Root’s IPL salary for 2025 is not publicly confirmed, but he has historically been a marginal figure in the league compared to Kohli, who has earned over $20M from Royal Challengers Bangalore alone across multiple seasons. Tendulkar, though retired from the IPL since 2013, earned substantial sums during his playing days.

Net worth estimate

Joe Root’s net worth is estimated at ~$15M, per MensXP (lifestyle & sports). For context, Virat Kohli’s net worth sits around $120M, and Sachin Tendulkar’s around $170M — a gap driven primarily by the Indian subcontinent’s enormous cricketing economy and endorsement market.

Root’s earnings structure highlights a trade‑off: financial rewards are far smaller than his Indian counterparts, but his focus on Test cricket has kept his legacy chase alive.

Who is better, Joe Root or Kohli?

Test batting averages comparison

Root’s Test average of 50+ edges Kohli’s 49+ as of 2025, according to Rediff (sports news). But the gap is narrow — less than a run per innings — and Kohli’s peak years (2016-2019) saw him average above 55 in Tests.

Tendulkar finished with 53.78 — a figure that has held up for over a decade as the benchmark for sustained excellence.

Centuries across formats

Kohli dominates the overall century count: 80 international hundreds versus Root’s 36, per Hindustan Times (Indian daily). Root’s 32 Test centuries place him third among England’s all-time list, but his limited-overs output (4 ODI centuries) lags far behind Kohli’s 50 ODI hundreds.

Tendulkar’s 100 international centuries remain the gold standard — a mark Kohli (80) and Root (36) are unlikely to reach, given their ages and remaining playing windows.

Captaincy records

Kohli led India in 68 Tests, winning 40. Root captained England in 64 Tests, winning 27. Both stepped down after mixed periods — Kohli in 2022, Root in 2022 — though Root’s captaincy coincided with England’s transition to the “Bazball” era under Ben Stokes.

The pattern: Kohli’s captaincy win percentage (58.8%) outpaces Root’s (42.2%), but Root’s post-captaincy batting renaissance — averaging 63+ in the Bazball era — suggests leadership pressure may have been suppressing his numbers.

How many centuries of Joe Root?

Test centuries

Joe Root’s Test century count was reported as 41 when he crossed 14,000 Test runs, according to Rediff (sports news). He had 66 Test half-centuries at that milestone, per the same report.

ODI centuries

Root has 4 ODI centuries — a modest tally compared to his Test exploits. His 36 international centuries break down to 32 in Tests and 4 in ODIs, according to Hindustan Times (Indian daily).

Current tally 2025

Root’s 37th Test century was reported at a Lord’s Test against India in 2025, per Hindustan Times (Indian daily). That innings also saw him become only the second England batter to complete 3,000 Test runs against India.

The catch: Root’s century rate in Tests (one every 5.3 innings since 2021) is actually better than Kohli’s (one every 7.1 innings) and comparable to Tendulkar’s overall career rate (one every 5.5 innings). But he needs to sustain that pace into his late 30s to close the gap.

Who is the richest English cricketer?

Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes is the richest English cricketer in 2025 with a net worth around $20M, driven by his IPL contracts and England central contract, per MensXP (lifestyle & sports).

Joe Root

Joe Root is second at ~$15M, per MensXP (lifestyle & sports).

James Anderson

James Anderson, England’s all-time leading wicket-taker, has an estimated net worth around $15M — roughly equal to Root — built on a two-decade career and fewer but still lucrative endorsements.

Net worth figures 2025

IPL contracts drive earnings for England players who participate. Stokes earned approximately $2M per season from Chennai Super Kings, while Root has opted out of multiple IPL auctions to manage workload. That decision alone accounts for much of the $5M gap between them.

Root’s decision to prioritise Tests over T20 leagues shows a clear hierarchy: legacy over liquidity.

Timeline: Root’s rise to Test elite

• 2012: Root makes Test debut for England.
• 2015: Root scores his 10th Test century.
• 2021: Root becomes England’s all-time leading Test run-scorer (surpassing Alastair Cook).
• 2024: Root reaches 12,000 Test runs; comparisons with Tendulkar intensify (Rediff (sports news)).

Quotes and expert perspectives

“Root is the highest Test run-scorer among active players.”

— MensXP (lifestyle & sports)

“Root became only the second England batter to complete 3,000 Test runs against India.”

— Hindustan Times (Indian daily)

“Root’s Test batting average was 50.77 when he crossed 14,000 Test runs.”

— Rediff (sports news)

“Root has scored 5,954 runs from 2021 to 2025 with 23 centuries and 17 fifties.”

— Hindustan Times (Indian daily)

For English cricket fans, the choice is clear: Root can aim for the Test run record and cement his legacy as one of the game’s all-time greats, or he can chase IPL money and risk derailing his charge. Based on his trajectory since 2021, he’s betting on history — and the numbers suggest it’s the right call.