In the world of T20 cricket, the debate around who deserves to be called the greatest batter continues to spark conversations. The modern era has seen many batsmen dominate in the shortest format.
Among them, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers stand out - not just for their records but for the way they have redefined T20 batting in their own unique styles.
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Both players have been cornerstones of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru for years. So when Jos Buttler was recently asked to choose between the two, the call was anything but simple.
Who is the greatest T20 batter? Jos Buttler picks between AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli
The question came during a fun video segment called 'winner stays on', posted by the Instagram page Love of Cricket. Buttler was given head-to-head comparisons of T20 greats - starting with himself and Chris Gayle.
The England star instantly bowed out and choose the Universe Boss to advance. From there, names like David Warner, Kevin Pietersen, Babar Azam, Glenn Maxwell and Yuvraj Singh entered the fray - only to be eliminated one by one - until just two names remained: AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli.
Faced with the final showdown, Buttler made his choice. He went with AB de Villiers over Virat Kohli.
"AB de Villiers," Buttler said simply in the clip, offering no further explanation for his call.
Kohli’s T20 record speaks volumes: 13,543 runs in 397 innings at a strike rate of 134.67. He recently helped RCB lift their maiden IPL trophy in 2025, scoring 657 runs that season.
He also bid farewell to T20Is after guiding India to World Cup glory in 2024.
De Villiers retired from all formats in 2021. He played 320 T20 innings and scored 9,424 runs at a strike rate of 150.13.
His fearless style and ability to improvise under pressure made him one of the most entertaining batters in cricket history.
Buttler’s choice is sure to spark more discussion but ultimately, there is no wrong answer here. Both Kohli and de Villiers have left a lasting mark on the T20 game - each in their own way.