Virat Kohli holds several records as captain. He has the most Test caps as India captain with 68 matches and the most Test wins with 40 victories. He is the fourth most successful captain in Test history, behind only Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting, and Steve Waugh.
Kohli took over the captaincy permanently from MS Dhoni in 2014. In that series, he scored 692 runs, the most ever by an Indian batter in a series in Australia. Under Kohli, India became the dominant force in world Test cricket. They held the top spot in the ICC Test Rankings for 42 consecutive months from October 2016 to March 2020.
At home, India won all 11 Test series under Kohli’s leadership. Away from home, they recorded their first ever series win in Australia in 2018-19. Kohli also led India to the final of the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021.
Kohli also excelled as a batter while leading the team. He scored 20 of his 27 Test centuries as captain, the most of any India captain. He scored 5,864 runs in 68 Test matches at an average of 54.80. At home, those numbers were even more impressive. He racked up 2,907 runs in 31 Tests at an average of 67.60, including 10 centuries. He also averaged over 40 in Australia, England, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies.
In ODIs, Kohli won 65 of his 95 matches as captain, the highest win percentage of any Indian captain with more than 10 matches. He scored 5,449 runs at an average of 72.65 with 21 centuries. Only Ricky Ponting has scored more centuries as an ODI captain, while Kohli’s average is by far the highest from any captain in the history of the sport.
In T20Is, he won 27 of his 50 matches and scored 1,570 runs at an average of 47.57. Only Kane Williamson and Aaron Finch have scored more runs as T20I captains, both at a lower average. Kohli’s era as captain will go down in history as one of the most successful in Indian cricket.
Virat Kohli on Test Retirement and His Journey with Indian Cricket Legends
Virat Kohli has spoken publicly about his Test retirement for the first time. He attended a charity event for Yuvraj Singh’s foundation, YouWeCan, where he shared the stage with several cricket legends. The gathering included his former RCB teammate Chris Gayle, head coach Gautam Gambhir, Ravi Shastri, Sachin Tendulkar, Kevin Pietersen, Brian Lara, and Ashish Nehra.
When host Gaurav Kapoor invited Kohli on stage and mentioned that everyone misses him on the field, Kohli broke his silence. He said that he had just colored his beard two days ago and joked that it is time when you are coloring your beard every four days. That was his lighthearted way of acknowledging that it was time to hang up his boots in Test cricket.
Kohli also thanked his former head coach Ravi Shastri for the way he shielded him during his early days. He said that if Shastri had not backed him the way he did, the achievements in Test cricket would not have been possible. He praised the clarity they shared and acknowledged that Shastri took bullets from the front line in press conferences. He expressed his respect and regard for Shastri for being a massive part of his cricketing journey.
Kohli also recalled his early days in the Indian team when he shared the dressing room with Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, and Zaheer Khan. He said they took him under their wings and helped him grow as a player. They made him comfortable in the dressing room and taught him about the lifestyle of getting to the top. He said watching Yuvraj in the World Cup was very special and that his battle with cancer and his comeback to the team were inspiring.
Kohli remembered a match against England in Cuttack in 2017 where the top order got out early and Yuvraj scored 150 while MS Dhoni scored around 110. He said it felt like watching childhood days on a big TV. He expressed his love and respect for Yuvraj and said it was a pleasure to be at the event for him.
FAQs
Q. How many Tests did Virat Kohli captain India in?
A. Kohli captained India in 68 Test matches.
Q. How many Test matches did Kohli win as captain?
A. Kohli led India to 40 Test victories.
Q. How many Test centuries did Kohli score as captain?
A. Kohli scored 20 of his 27 Test centuries as captain.
Q. How many Test runs did Kohli score as captain?
A. Kohli scored 5,864 runs at an average of 54.80.
Q. Did Kohli win a Test series in Australia?
A. Yes. India won their first Test series in Australia in 2018-19.
Q. What did Kohli say about his Test retirement?
A. Kohli joked about coloring his beard often and said it was time.
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