 "Virat Kohli's final Test appearance was against Australia in Sydney in January. AP")
Cricket superstar Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket on Monday , bringing the curtains down on a 14-year journey that began shortly after India’s triumph in the 2011 ICC World Cup. This comes just days after Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket, with both players quitting the format more than a month before the marquee five-Test series between India and England gets underway on the latter’s turf.
Both Kohli and Rohit had hung up their boots in Twenty20 Internationals last year after helping the Men in Blue win the T20 World Cup in the US and the Caribbean, and will be seen only in ODIs for India going forward. It is important to note that both these legendary players were awarded the highest category (A+) in the latest BCCI central contracts, which is typically reserved for players active across all three formats.
Kohli has had a fabulous Test career so far. He is considered one of the best batters in the world across formats and is part of the famous ‘Fab 4’ including Joe Root, Steve Smith, and Kane Williamson. Kohli is also the most successful Test captain India have ever had. He has helped win 40 out of the 68 Test matches he has captained for the country and has a win percentage of 58.82.
Let’s check out some of the world records Kohli has created as India’s highly decorated Test player and also his stats in the format.
Virat Kohli’s Test career in numbers:
Matches: 123
Runs: 9,230
Average: 46.85
Centuries: 30
Half-centuries: 31
Highest Score: 254* vs South Africa (2019)
Double Hundreds: 7 (most by an Indian in Tests)
1000+ Runs in a Calendar Year: Achieved in 2016, 2017, and 2018
Key records held by Kohli in Test cricket:
First batter to score four double hundreds in consecutive Test series: Kohli became the first batter in the world to score four double centuries in consecutive Test series. He went past Rahul Dravid and Don Brandman, who had three double hundreds in consecutive series.
Most Test wins as India captain: Virat Kohli is the most successful Indian Test captain with 40 wins in 68 matches.
Most double hundreds by an Indian: Kohli holds the record for hitting the most double centuries by an Indian batter - 7.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsFirst Indian captain to win Test series in Australia: Virat Kohli is the first Indian and Asian captain to win a Test series in Australia. He achieved the feat in the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Most Test centuries as India captain: Kohli holds the record for scoring the most Test centuries as Indian captain - 20. He has also scored the most Test runs as the Indian skipper - 5864 runs.