Virat Kohli's glorious Test captaincy tenure: Reliving former skipper's inspiring run as leader in whites
Virat Kohli's surprising resignation
Virat Kohli announced his decision of resigning as India's Test captain post the South Africa Tests in the African nation. On January 15, he tweeted saying, "Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test captain of India, it’s now. It’s been 7 years of hard work, toil and relentless perseverance every day to take the team in the right direction. I’ve done the job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there. Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test Captain of India, it’s now."
Kohli's phenomenal run as Test skipper
The 33-year-old superstar ended his captaincy tenure as India's most successful captain in whites with 40 wins.
Kohli's overall numbers as Test captain
Kohli led Team India in 68 Tests, winning 40 of them at win-loss ratio of 2.352 (third-best overall). He ended with fourth-most wins as captain in the red-ball format; after Graeme Smith (53), Ricky Ponting (48) and Steve Waugh (41).
Most successful Indian Test captain by a distance
India achieved most away Test wins under Kohli (16), followed by Sourav Ganguly (11) and MS Dhoni (6). Thus, Kohli signed off as someone who had massive influence as captain of the Test line-up.
KING KOHLI - Leading from the front
Kohli also led from the front with the bat during his Test captaincy tenure. As a result, he ended with fourth-most runs as Test captain, amassing 5,864 runs at 54.80.
Unreal numbers for a Test captain
Kohli is the only Test captain with 5,000 Test runs at an average of over 52. For the unversed, he slammed as many as seven double centuries as Test captain. Phew, UNREAL!
Maiden Test series win in Australia, impressive run in ENG and many more highs
Kohli's Team India won their maiden Test series in Australia, have an unassailable lead over England in their own backyard (2-1) in the incomplete five Tests in mid-2021, remained a dominant force at home along with playing the inaugural WTC final.
Taking over when India was at 7th place, ending with team at No. 1 spot
Team India continue to remain the No. 1 Test side at the time of Kohli's resignation. He took over from Dhoni when the team was languishing at the seventh spot. Thus, India's dominance at the top showcases Kohli's credentials as a Test captain.
Kohli's achievements as captain much beyond statistics
Under Kohli, India's bowling unit -- especially the pacers -- flourished whereas the whole squad transformed into an attacking unit. A lot of importance was given on fitness and spicy pitches being prepared at home, with a view to hone their skills and performances during away series.
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