Records, runs and legacy: Virat Kohli’s 14-year Test saga ends
Kohli played 123 Tests, scoring 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85 with 30 centuries
Virat Kohli has officially retired from Test cricket at the age of 36, putting an end to a remarkable 14-year journey that redefined Indian cricket. Kohli’s career is defined by numbers that are nothing short of extraordinary.
Across 123 Tests, he amassed 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and 31 fifties. His contributions went beyond the numbers, as his leadership and resilience were pivotal in shaping the modern Indian cricket team.
Kohli finished as the 12th highest run-scorer in the World Test Championship, with 2,617 runs in 47 matches.
The highlight of Kohli’s career includes several record-breaking feats, such as holding the record for the most runs in a calendar year by an Indian batter in 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2023.
He is the only Indian to score seven Test centuries in Australia, surpassing the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
The 36-year-old became the first Indian to score four centuries in a single overseas Test series during the 2014/15 tour of Australia. In the 2016-17 home season, he scored a monumental 1,059 runs, the most by any Indian.
He also holds the record for the highest rating points earned by an Indian in the ICC Men’s Test Batting Rankings, with 937 points in 2018.
From a modest Test debut in 2011 to becoming one of the game’s greatest, Kohli’s journey was marked by passion, grit and leadership. His career-best 254 not out against South Africa in 2019 was a testament to his skill and mental strength.
As a captain, Kohli led India in 68 Tests, winning 40 matches, the fourth-most successful Test captain globally.
He steered India to their first-ever World Test Championship final and oversaw historic series victories, including the 2018-19 triumph in Australia.
However, Kohli’s some milestones now remain out of reach.
Despite his many accomplishments, he retires without a Test century in Bangladesh — the only country where he did not conquer. And without a series win in South Africa and England.
Kohli fell agonisingly short of amassing the 10000-run milestone in Test cricket as he finished with 9,230 runs in 123 Tests.
He also failed to end up as the leading run-scorer for India in the World Test Championship (WTC), falling 99 runs behind leader Rohit Sharma (2617), who called time on his red-ball career last week.
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