New Delhi, May 12: Virat Kohli, has bid farewell to the whites, ending a red-ball career that will be remembered for generations to come.
Virat redefined Indian cricket’s approach to Test matches, signed off on Monday, leaving behind a staggering legacy built on 9230 runs, 123 Tests, and a vision that transformed India into a global powerhouse in the longest format.
Kohli’s leadership changed the culture of Indian Test cricket. He captained India in 68 matches, winning 40, losing only 17, and drawing 11 — a win percentage of 58.82%, the highest by any Indian captain.
His crowning moment came in 2018-19, when he led India to their first-ever Test series win in Australia, breaking a 71-year-old jinx. Under Kohli, India became an indomitable force at home and a fiercely competitive side overseas. From 2016 to 2021, India stayed at the No.1 spot in ICC Test rankings, and he also captained them to the final of the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021.
Kohli leaves Test cricket as India’s fourth-highest run-scorer, behind legends Tendulkar, Dravid, and Gavaskar. His 30 Test centuries, including seven double tons, are a testament to his hunger and skill. He holds the record for most double centuries by an Indian, and the highest individual score by an Indian captain — 254 against South Africa* in Pune (2019).
His final century — a gritty ton at Perth in the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy — fittingly came against his favourite opponents, Australia. He is also the only Indian to score seven Test centuries in Australia, going past Sachin Tendulkar, and holds the unique feat of four hundreds in a single overseas series — during the iconic 2014/15 Australia tour.
Between 2015 and 2017, Kohli led India to nine consecutive Test series wins, matching Ricky Ponting’s world record. (IANS)
