Virat Kohli Test Career, Debut and Last Test Match

Virat Kohli, the GOAT and the King of Modern Cricket has announced his retirement on Monday and ended his career after a long 14 years in the format. The former Indian captain, Kohli, ended his career with 30 Test Hundreds, 31 half-centuries, and a total of 9230 runs with an average of 46.85. He has played 123 Test matches and has been part of 210 innings. Kohli shared the news through a statement on his Instagram account.

“It’s been 14 years since I first wore the baggy blue in Test cricket. Honestly, I never imagined the journey this format would take me on. It’s tested me, shaped me, and taught me lessons I’ll carry for life,” Kohli wrote.

Virat Kohli, the name that resonates with passion, aggression, fitness, and an insatiable hunger for runs on the cricket field. Starting as a chubby boy, Kohli has come a long way; his journey in Test Cricket is nothing short of a captivating saga. He started as a young, talented player and became one of the best batsmen ever, and a captain who changed the game. His journey in the red-ball format is marked by periods of blistering dominance, resilience, and total excellence. From his debut in the year 2011, Kohli’s journey has been a rollercoaster of emotions, achievements, and records. Today, we will talk about the overall impact of Virat Kohli’s illustrious Test career and will look at his best scores, big moments, and all about how a young player became a legend of the game.

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Virat Kohli Test Career Stats

Batting Career Stats

Bowling Career Stats

Kohli’s Test Career innings have seen both batting and bowling. However, a major part of Virat’s Test Career stands as a batsman and also as a testament to his consistency, hunger for runs, and his unwavering dedication to the longest format of the game. He has played a total of 123 Test matches and 210 innings, and has amassed a total of 9239 runs, having faced 16,608 deliveries. Recording a highest score for himself of a monumental 254, Kohli has shown that he can balance both aggression and patience. In terms of Virat Kohli’s test career, he has hit 30 centuries with  31 half-century test centuries, and has remained not out 13 times.

Also Read | Why Virat Kohli announced retirement from Test cricket

On the bowling front, Kohli’s role has been more symbolic than impactful. In his 123-match Test Career, he has bowled in only 11 innings, delivering a total of 175 balls. He conceded 84 runs without taking a single wicket with an economy rate of 2.88.

Virat Kohli’s Test Debut

Kohli made his Test debut on June 20, 2011, in the first Test of India’s tour of the West Indies at Sabina Park, Kingston. He came in to bat at No. 5 but could only manage 4 runs off 10 balls in the first innings before falling to Fidel Edwards. In the next second innings, Kohli once again fell to Edward and couldn’t offer much redemption. But this time he scored 15 runs off 54 balls with a strike rate of 27.78. However, the start might have been small, but it was a humble beginning in the whites that further led him to become one of India’s finest Test batters in history.

Virat Kohli’s Last Test Match

Virat played what could be his last Test match during the 5th Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January 2025. In the first innings, Kohli struggled to make an impact and scored 17 runs from 69 balls at a strike rate of 24,64 before being dismissed by Scott Boland. In the second innings, things didn’t change much, and Kohli was again dismissed by Boland after scoring just 6 runs off 12 balls. India ended up with a match loss and further lost the series to Australia.

While Kohli’s performance in this match was quiet, it marked the end of a remarkable journey in Test cricket—one filled with passion, resilience, and unforgettable knocks. This could have been the last match the King played.

Virat Kohli Test Captaincy

Kohli took on leadership in the Border Gavaskar Trophy in 2014 and played the first match as the captain. India won the match by 48 runs and that was the winning start of Kohli’s career as a Test Captain. Virat Kohli has played a total of 40 Test matches as a captain and has led the team to 23 wins with 42% winning percentage.

Virat Kohli Test Records

• Most double centuries in Test cricket by an Indian
• Most centuries as India’s Test captain
• Most test runs as India’s captain
• Best win percentage as India’s Test captain
• 4th highest run-scorer for India in Test cricket
• 4th highest run-scorer for India in Test cricket
• Most Test matches played as captain for India