From 2016 to 2019, it just did not matter what the pitch, opposition, bowler name, conditions, and match situation were. This four-year period saw Virat Kohli strutting around with his team, from one corner of the globe to the other, with cockiness backed by numbers and consistency shaped by years of hard work. (Photos: AFP)
Updated On: 2025-05-14 10:03 PM IST
Compiled by : Srijanee Majumdar
During this period, Kohli was India's undisputed champion of Test batting, scoring 4,208 runs in 43 Tests at an average of 66.79 and striking at a brisk rate of 61.88. He managed 16 centuries and 10 fifties, scattered throughout the globe, with the best score of 254*
His reign of dominance started with a tour to the West Indies in July 2016, managing 251 runs in four innings at an average of 62.75, with a 200 at North Sound being his best knock, wiping out all the trauma of from his debut tour in 2011, where he could score just 76 runs in five innings. A two-match series against Bangladesh at home, when he scored 0 and 136 across two Tests, ended this reign. His majestic 136 at Eden Gardens ended this peak with a bang
Between these two series, he was an absolute force to be reckoned with at home. Every state, stadium, and pitch was a war zone, and Kohli's men were the soldiers, taking turns at crushing any potential challengers. Teams climbed to the top of the ICC Test Rankings, made runs, took wickets, only to Kohli led his team from the front, topping the run-charts with 2,499 runs in 22 Tests at an average of 86.17, scoring 10 centuries and three fifties in 34 innings with a best score of 254*. Pujara sat at number second, scoring 1,990 runs in 24 Tests and 37 innings at an average of 56.85, with five centuries and 14 fifties.As a captain, he led India to 17 wins in 22 Tests at home, losing just one match and drawing four
In 21 Tests away from home, Kohli scored 1,709 runs at an average of 50.26, with six centuries and seven fifties. His best score was 200. At second was his distant rival Cheteshwar Pujara, scoring 1,330 runs in 19 Tests at an average of 44.33, with six centuries and three fifties in 31 innings
Away from home, Kohli led India to 11 wins in 21 Tests, losing seven and drawing three. Under him, India emerged as a much stronger force. From body blows to stunning batting counter-attacks to savage, headline-grabbing banters/sledges, Team India could deliver it all. The definition of aggression was redefined under Kohli as it was not limited to cricketing acts, physical, and verbal confrontations; it was a mindset thing
In the SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia) countries, Kohli's bat roared loudly, mixing elegance, finesse and aggression like never before. During this phase in SENA, he made 1,161 runs in 12 Tests at an average of 50.47, with four centuries and five fifties and the best score of 153
(With ANI inputs)
