Kapil Dev vs Imran Khan

[PlayerComparisons]

Better odi cricketer?

 

[OverratedSanity]

Kapil couldn't string together a full coherent sentence in English in the 83 WC final ceremony and he still somehow managed a better acceptance speech than Imran. So he deserves the vote on that alone.

 

[subshakerz]

Imran Khan. Easily too.

By his time's standards, he was a proper middle order bat and a worldclass bowler until his last three years.

Kapil wasn't as good a bowler. I don't usually resort to pointing to averages, but if you average 10 runs less than a peer of the same era, there is no way you are a better bat either. Fielding isnt a tiebreaker.

Imran also performed better than Kapil in WCs. A champ.

 

[ma1978]

On the stats, similar bowling averages except Kapil did it a lot longer

Kapil had a lower batting average but an insane strike rate

Pretty even on the stats, pretty even on the narrative

Kapil pips it on longevity

Both are ATGs in the format

 

[ankitj]

Imran is underrated in ODIs. In my own statistical analysis of ODI batting and bowling, Imran was the only player to make it to top 50 of both bowling and batting ranking (admittedly longevity points helped him a lot)

 

[subshakerz]

On the stats, similar bowling averages except Kapil did it a lot longer

Imran was a 22/23 averaging bowler for 70/80 percent of his career while averaging 30 with the bat until the last few years when his bowling well away.

Kapil had a lower batting average but an insane strike rate

Kapil averaging 23 is below standard for an AR. Imran could actually bat up the order which is why his SR is so much lower and hit it when he needed to.

Pretty even on the stats, pretty even on the narrative

Kapil pips it on longevity

Narrative-wise, Imran is ahead. Especially if you consider his performance in WC knockout games.

Kapil's longevity works against him, especially since he could only score one ton in a much longer career.

 

[honestbharani]

ODIs - Kapil
Tests - Imran
Overall - Imran

 

[subshakerz]

Imran is underrated in ODIs. In my own statistical analysis of ODI batting and bowling, Imran was the only player to make it to top 50 of both bowling and batting ranking (admittedly longevity points helped him a lot)

Imran is underrated in ODIs on this forum, Kapil is overrated.

 

[Saket1209]

Imran khan. Has a bowling average of 21 till 1987 and 23 till 1989. Plus had an average of 36 with the bat. Even if he was just a bowler he was better. His average is same as that of Mcgrath till 87.

 

[subshakerz]

Imran khan. Has a bowling average of 21 till 1987 and 23 till 1989. Plus had an average of 36 with the bat. Even if he was just a bowler he was better. His average is same as that of Mcgrath till 87.

Yup. This is one of the problems with judging things by final averages, it can be misleading.

Imran was as worldclass a bowler he was in tests as he was in ODIs in the 80s.

 

[h_hurricane]

Kapil. For a good period of time in his prime, he was like Sehwag with the bat and Mcgrath with the ball.

 

[subshakerz]

Kapil. For a good period of time in his prime, he was like Sehwag with the bat and Mcgrath with the ball.

When was that? Sounds like an extreme stretch.

 

[h_hurricane]

When was that? Sounds like an extreme stretch.

For 4 years between 1983 and 1986.

66 matches 85 wickets.
Averages 22 with the ball at an E.R of 3.5

Bowling records | One-Day Internationals | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

stats.espncricinfo.com

Averages 30 with the bat at a S.R. of 103.

Batting records | One-Day Internationals | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

stats.espncricinfo.com

Forget about the averages. He was arguably the best ODI cricketer in the world during this period.

Took a nothing team to WC glory.
Played arguably the best ODI knock of all time.

Won the World Championship of cricket semifinal with the bat.
Won the World Championship of cricket final with the ball, knocking off the top order.

 

[subshakerz]

For 4 years between 1983 and 1986.

66 matches 85 wickets.
Averages 22 with the ball at an E.R of 3.5

Bowling records | One-Day Internationals | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

stats.espncricinfo.com

Averages 30 with the bat at a S.R. of 103.

Batting records | One-Day Internationals | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

stats.espncricinfo.com

Forget about the averages. He was arguably the best ODI cricketer in the world during this period.

Took a nothing team to WC glory.
Played arguably the best ODI knock of all time.

Won the World Championship of cricket semifinal with the bat.
Won the World Championship of cricket final with the ball, knocking off the top order.

Fair enough but that is just four years out of a 15 year career.

Imran can match those numbers for a 10-year period, except Kapil's SR because Imran was good enough to bat up the order unlike Kapil.

All-round records | One-Day Internationals | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

stats.espncricinfo.com

Even if you want to restrict it to a 4-year period, between 1980 and 1983, Imran averaged 49 with the bat and 21 with the ball.

All-round records | One-Day Internationals | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

stats.espncricinfo.com

Imran topscored in a WC final, did well in both semis he played in, and generally has much better numbers in WCs. It really isn't close.

 

[Patience and Accuracy+Gut]

Imran easily. Though,Kapil is closer in ODI’s than in Test.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Even if you want to restrict it to a 4-year period, between 1980 and 1983, Imran averaged 49 with the bat and 21 with the ball.

All-round records | One-Day Internationals | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

stats.espncricinfo.com

There's only 4 fifties in this period and half his innings were not out. This is the most farzi 49 averaging batting imaginable tbh

 

[OverratedSanity]

10 notouts in 23 innings with a 77 SR is some elite red inking tbh

 

[subshakerz]

There's only 4 fifties in this period and half his innings were not out. This is the most farzi 49 averaging batting imaginable tbh

Cut some points if you like but Imran would still be ahead as a bat.

Anyways, I am not in favor of using a four year peak to determine anything since Imran clearly has the better career, but I am showing how Imran is ahead even by that measure.

 

[The Sean]

Gah, I can never keep track of the ephemeral CW view as to whether not-outs do or don't inflate batting averages.

 

[h_hurricane]

Fair enough but that is just four years out of a 15 year career.

Imran can match those numbers for a 10-year period, except Kapil's SR because Imran was good enough to bat up the order unlike Kapil.

All-round records | One-Day Internationals | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

stats.espncricinfo.com

You are the one who consistently call out impact related performances in literally every thread here. Do you remember any impact Imran had during this period ? Nehru Trophy at the fag end of this period, probably yes.

Even if you want to restrict it to a 4-year period, between 1980 and 1983, Imran averaged 49 with the bat and 21 with the ball.

All-round records | One-Day Internationals | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

stats.espncricinfo.com

Meh, just 29 matches and less than one wicket per match. And as OS has pointed out, nothing much in batting either. Most misleading stat ever unless you dig deep into it.

Imran topscored in a WC final, and generally has much better numbers in WCs. It really isn't close.

A good innings but Akram won it. His innings in the semifinal would have lost the match for Pakistan but Inzi saved the day. Also, Imran was probably the worst bowler in that final.
I give it to you though that Imran was the better bowler overall in WCs.