7 interesting records from Virat Kohli’s Test career, including his role in a record 8th-wicket partnership against England
Less than a week after India’s Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket, the changing of the guard continued with Virat Kohli confirming his decision to quit the five-day game with immediate effect.
Kohli is a true legend of Indian cricket. He was a force of nature with the bat and a genuine leader of men as skipper.
Boasting the best record as a Test captain for India, Kohli led India in 68 of the 123 Tests he played, with his 40 wins in charge making him the country’s most successful Test captain of all time.
As Kohli moves on from the longest format, let’s take a moment to reflect on some of his records and achievements:
1. 6th most caps as a Test captain – 68
Virat Kohli’s ascent to India’s permanent Test skipper in late 2014 marked the start of a remarkable leadership era. Over the next seven years, he captained India in 68 Tests, making him sixth on the all-time list of most matches as captain in Test history (South Africa’s Graeme Smith tops the list).
His tenure included home series whitewashes of formidable sides like Australia (2018–19) and England (2020–21), plus a historic series win in Australia in 2018–19. Kohli’s aggressive field placements and unrelenting intensity instilled a new fighting spirit in the India team.
Under his leadership, India achieved a first-ever win in South Africa (2018) and maintained a world number one ranking across multiple seasons, cementing his status as an inspirational skipper.
2. 7th on list of most runs in a losing cause – 256 vs Australia, 2014
Even in defeat, Kohli’s batting prowess shone bright. During the 2014 Border–Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, he scored 115 in the first innings at Adelaide and followed up with 141 in the second, aggregating 256 runs for the seventh-highest total by any batsman in a Test match his team lost.
In a closely contested battle India fell short of victory by 48 runs. Kohli’s twin centuries showcased his ability to adapt to bouncy Australia pitches and signalled his emergence as a world-class Test batsman. That valiant effort is often cited as one of the greatest losing performances in Test history.
3. 5th fastest to 7,000 Test runs – in 138 innings
Consistency is Kohli’s hallmark. He reached 7,000 Test runs in just 138 innings, making him the fifth fastest to that landmark — behind other greats of the game like Sir Donald Bradman, Everton Weekes, Adam Gilchrist, and Alastair Cook.
Across diverse conditions – from seaming tracks in England to spinning tracks in India – Kohli’s technique and temperament allowed him to accumulate runs at a remarkable clip. His hunger for runs and mastery of chases translated into average upticks when batting fourth, underlining why he’s widely regarded as the modern-day master of successful run chases in red-ball cricket.
4. 7th highest 8th-wicket partnership in Test history (highest ever for India) – 241 with Jayant Yadav, 2016
England batted first and scored a respectable 400. It looked like they would secure a first innings lead as India found themselves teetering at 364 for seven.
That’s when Kohli, who made a fantastic 235 was joined by off-spinner Jayant Yadav (who made 104), and they proceeded to stitch together a 241-run partnership for the eighth wicket — the seventh highest in Test history for that wicket and the highest by any Indian pair.
Kohli was eventually ninth player out as India reached a total of 631 all out, a score that was enough to see them to an innings and 36 runs victory.
5. Most player of the series awards across all formats – 21 in total
Virat Kohli’s knack for dominating across all three formats of the game is reflected in his haul of 21 player-of-the-series awards in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is combined – it’s the most by any cricketer.
Whether it was the 2016 Asia Cup (ODI), 2018 Border–Gavaskar Trophy (Test), or the 2016 T20I series in the West Indies, Kohli’s consistent run-scoring and match-winning contributions have been recognized more often than any other player.
Sachin Tendulkar sits second with 20, highlighting Kohli’s unprecedented impact on global cricket over the past decade.
6. 5,000 Test runs and 50 fielding dismissals – 22nd on all-time catches list
By the time of his retirement, Kohli had amassed over 5,000 Test runs and taken 51 catches—making him one of only a handful of elite batsmen to combine such batting volume with top-tier fielding achievements.
His agile work in the slips and quick reflexes in the gully region contributed to India’s 22nd highest tally of Test catches. Kohli’s athleticism and safe pair of hands turned half-chances into match-turning wickets, underlining his role as a complete cricketer who impacted games beyond his batting exploits.
7. 15th on list of most Test centuries and 4th for double-tons
Virat Kohli’s appetite for big scores saw him register 27 Test centuries, placing him 15th all-time, and seven double centuries, the fourth most in history behind Don Bradman, Kumar Sangakkara, and Brian Lara.
His penchant for double-hundreds began with a 200 against the West Indies at North Sound. He then followed it up with 211 against New Zealand in Indore and 235 against England at Wankhede Stadium.
Further double-tons against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka (two) followed before his final double against South Africa in Pune in 2019.
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