Virat Kohli: A Look at His Definitive Test Records

Virat Kohli has had a remarkable career for India, be it as a batter or a captain. His exploits as a leader for India are second to none and which is why we can say that he has left behind a great legacy in the format. Retired from Test cricket, Kohli holds a special mention in Tests, especially with the way he endorsed the format and held to his heart in the age of T20 cricket.

As Captain: A Record of Dominance

Leadership & Success

Kohli is the most capped Test skipper for India, having led the country in a whopping 68 Tests. He ranks sixth globally, with only five other players having a better record.

He is the most successful Test captain of the team, having led India to 40 wins. He is also the fourth most successful skipper in the world, behind Graeme Smith (53), Ricky Ponting (48), and Steve Waugh (41).

Batting Milestones

While leading the team, Kohli scored 5864 runs, which makes him the fourth most prolific Test batter as captain.

He has the second most centuries as a Test captain (20), only behind Graeme Smith, who made 25 tons.

Kohli is the only captain with seven double centuries in Tests. No other captain has more than five Test double tons.

Unique Achievements

Among the 12 captains who have scored 4000 or more Test runs, Virat Kohli has the third-best average (58.64), only behind Steve Smith (68.48) and Brian Lara (57.84).

He scored 655 runs in a home Test series against England in 2016/17. This is the 15th best aggregate by a Test skipper in a series and the third best for an Indian skipper.

Overall Career: A Legacy in Number

Batting Records

The former Indian captain is the fourth-highest run-getter in the Test format for the country. Only Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sunil Gavaskar have made more Test runs than Kohli.

He also has the fourth most Test centuries among Indian batters , only behind Tendulkar (51), Dravid (36), and Gavaskar (34).

Series Performance

With 692 runs in the 2014/15 tour of Australia, Kohli has the fifth most runs by an Indian batter in a single Test series.

He sits jointly second for scoring the most centuries in a series (4).

Unique Records & Milestones

He was the fifth fastest to reach the 7000-run landmark in Tests (138 innings) and the third fastest Indian to do so.

He has a dubious distinction of scoring the joint-eighth most runs in a losing cause in a Test match (256 runs at Adelaide in 2014).

Kohli has taken 121 catches in Tests. This is the joint 22nd most for a non-wicketkeeper. Among Indians, only Rahul Dravid (210) and VVS Laxman (135) have taken more catches in the format.