In numbers: The 3 defining phases of Virat Kohli's Test career

Amid much speculation over his red-ball future, veteran Indian batter Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket on Monday, May 12. The 36-year-old had a disappointing tour of Australia, managing only 190 runs in nine innings. He did get a ton at Perth, but struggled after that, constantly perishing to deliveries outside the off stump.

Despite his poor returns Down Under, Kohli was widely expected to be a part of the Indian team for the upcoming Test tour of England. With Rohit Sharma having recently announced his Test retirement, fans and experts reckoned that Kohli could be crucial to India's fortunes in England. However, the Delhi cricketer also decided to call it quits, confirming his decision with a post on his official Instagram handle.

Kohli ended his Test career with 9,230 runs in 123 matches at an average of 46.85, with the aid of 30 hundreds and 31 half-centuries. The former India captain's Test career can be summarized aptly in three different phases.

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Phase 1 (2011 to 2013) - Finding his feet in Test cricket

While Kohli made his one-day debut for India in August 2008, he had to wait until June 2011 before he was handed his Test cap. The Delhi batter made his debut in the Kingston Test against West Indies. Kohli played all three Tests during the tour, but had a poor series, managing only 76 runs in five innings with a best of 30.

It did not take long for Kohli to find his feet in Test cricket though. When the Windies visited India towards the end of 2011, he registered half-centuries in both innings of the Wankhede Test in Mumbai. The right-hander also recovered from a poor start to the 2011-2012 Australia tour, scoring 44 & 75 at the WACA and 116 in Adelaide, which was his maiden Test hundred.

From his debut in 2011 till the end of 2013, Kohli featured in 22 Tests (37 innings), scoring 1,507 runs at an average of 44.32, with five hundreds and eight half-centuries. He famously scored 119 & 96 against South Africa in Johannesburg in December 2013.

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Phase 2 (2014 to 2019) - Kohli the dominator

The period between 2014 and 2019 was undoubtedly the golden period of Kohli's Test career. In this phase, which also saw him being elevated to leadership following MS Dhoni's Test retirement, he played 62 matches (104 innings) and amassed 5,695 runs at an average of 58.71, with 22 hundreds and 14 fifties.

Kohli scored a hundred in Wellington against New Zealand at the start of the year. Leading from the front, he smashed 115 & 141 in the Adelaide Test against Australia during the 2014-15 tour. Team India lost the Test by 48 runs, but the visitors went down fighting courtesy of Kohli. He also scored tons in Melbourne and Sydney, ending the series with 692 runs in eight innings, averaging 86.50.

Kohli scored a total of seven double hundreds in his Test career and all them came in the period between July 2016 and October 2019. His first double ton was registered against West Indies at North Sound in July 2016. The former India captain then scored 211 against New Zealand in Indore (October 2016) and 235 against England in Mumbai (December 2016).

Virat Kohli's Test stats	Matches	Runs	Average	HS	100s	50s
2011 to 2013	22	1,507	44.32	119	5	8
2014 to 2019	62	5,695	58.71	254*	22	14
2020 to 2025	39	2,028	30.72	186	3	9

Kohli notched up another double ton early in 2017 when he hit 204 against Bangladesh in Hyderabad in February 2017. The prolific batter then hit double hundreds in consecutive Test against Sri Lanka - 213 in Nagpur (November 2017) and 243 at his home ground in Delhi (December 2017). His career-best Test score of 254* was registered against South Africa in Pune in October 2019.

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Phase 3 (2020 to 2025) - The shocking downfall

The last phase of his Test career saw Kohli struggling for consistency, even forcing fans and experts to question his place in the team. From the start of 2020 till his last Test (in January 2025), the 36-year-old featured in 39 Tests (69 innings) and managed only 2,028 runs at an underwhelming average of 30.72. During his phase, Kohli only managed three hundreds and nine fifties.

The 186 he scored against Australia in Ahmedabad in March 2023 was his first Test ton since his 136 against Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens in November 2019. The former Team India captain managed only two more hundreds in his Test career - 121 against West Indies at Port of Spain (July 2023) and 100* against Australia in Perth (November 2024).