Intriguingly, on his 12th anniversary in Test cricket, former India captain Virat Kohli is currently preparing for India’s tour of West Indies, set to commence with the first Test on July 12 in Dominica. As we delve into 13 captivating facts and records of this former world number one Test batsman:
1. Kohli made his Test debut against West Indies in Kingston, scoring four off 10 balls in the first innings and 15 off 54 in the second, both times falling to Fidel Edwards and caught by wicket-keeper Carlton Baugh.
2. His first Test on home soil was also against West Indies at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, where he notched 52 and 63 runs in the first and second innings respectively.
3. Kohli’s maiden Test century arrived in January 2012 against Australia in Adelaide. His most recent century (28th) was against Australia in Ahmedabad in March of the current year.
4. As India’s most successful captain, Kohli led the team to victory in 40 out of 68 Test matches. Among all captains, he holds the third-highest number of wins, trailing only Graeme Smith (53 in 109 Tests) and Ricky Ponting (48 in 77 Tests).
5. Under Kohli’s captaincy, India clinched the ICC Test Mace for five consecutive years, matching the feat accomplished only by Australia during their ‘golden era’ when they held the top-ranked position for eight years in a row.
6. Kohli is the second captain after Don Bradman to score over 600 runs in a single Test series.
7. He ranks fourth in terms of most runs scored by Test captains, behind Graeme Smith, Allan Border, and Ricky Ponting. Kohli amassed 5864 runs in 68 Test matches at an average of 54.80.
8. With 20 Test centuries as captain, Kohli trails only Graeme Smith, who has five more centuries to his name.
9. Among Indian batsmen, Kohli holds the sixth-highest number of Test runs, with only Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sunil Gavaskar, VVS Laxman, and Virender Sehwag surpassing him.
10. In 2016, Kohli became the first Indian captain to score a double century in an away Test match.
11. Kohli boasts an impressive record of seven double centuries, the most by any active cricketer.
12. As the first Indian captain to secure a Test series victory in Australia, Kohli etched his name in history.
These captivating facts and records highlight the remarkable journey of Virat Kohli, a true stalwart of Test cricket.
