New Delhi [India]: As Virat Kohli brings the curtain down on a stellar Test career, the sheer weight of numbers underlines his greatness in the longest format of the game. With 123 Test appearances and 9,230 runs, Kohli leaves as one of the most prolific and influential Test cricketers in India’s history.
From dominating at home to thriving on hostile overseas pitches, Kohli’s red-ball journey stands as a masterclass in consistency, adaptability, and elite batting technique.
Here’s a statistical deep dive into his illustrious career — team by team, venue by venue:
🏠 Home Heroics
In India, Kohli played 55 Tests, scoring 4,336 runs with 14 centuries and 13 fifties. His highest score — a monumental 254 against South Africa* in Pune (2019) — came on home soil, cementing his dominance in spin-friendly subcontinental conditions.
🇦🇺 Against Australia – Fierce Rivalry
- Tests Played: 30
- Runs Scored: 2,232
- Centuries/Fifties: 9/5
- Best Score: 186
In Australia, he played 18 Tests, scoring 1,542 runs (7 hundreds, 4 fifties) with a top score of 169, an incredible feat on bouncy, pace-friendly wickets.
🏏 England – A Test of Grit
- Total Tests: 28
- Runs Scored: 1,991
- Centuries/Fifties: 5/9
- Best Score: 235 (Wankhede, 2016)
In England, Kohli battled early struggles but finished with 1,096 runs in 17 matches, including 2 centuries. His highest was 149 at Edgbaston — a defining moment in his career.
🇿🇦 Against South Africa – Pace Combat
- Tests: 16
- Runs: 1,408
- Centuries/Fifties: 3/5
- Top Score: 254* (Pune, 2019)
In South Africa, he played 9 matches, scored 891 runs, including a brave 153 in testing conditions.
🇳🇿 Versus New Zealand – Silent Consistency
- Tests: 14
- Runs: 959
- Centuries/Fifties: 3/4
- Best Score: 211
In New Zealand, Kohli played 4 Tests, scoring 252 runs with 1 century (105*) and 1 fifty.
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka – Subcontinental Supremacy
- Matches: 11
- Runs: 1,085
- Centuries/Fifties: 5/2
- Best Score: 243 (Delhi)
In Sri Lanka, Kohli scored 394 runs in 6 Tests, notching 2 centuries.
🇯🇲 Against West Indies – Solid and Steady
- Tests Played: 16
- Runs: 1,019
- Centuries/Fifties: 3/6
- Best Score: 200
On West Indian soil, he played 11 matches, tallying 660 runs, including 2 centuries and 3 fifties.
🇧🇩 Bangladesh – Limited But Impactful
- Matches: 8
- Runs: 536
- Centuries: 2
- Highest Score: 204
In Bangladesh, however, Kohli’s returns were modest — only 59 runs in 3 Tests, without a fifty or century.
Legacy Defined by Numbers and Leadership
Kohli’s red-ball career, stretching from 2011 to 2024, also included a long stint as captain, during which India became the world’s top-ranked Test team and reached the World Test Championship final. Known for his intense on-field presence, fitness revolution, and hunger for excellence, Kohli redefined Indian Test cricket in the modern era.
As he steps away from the whites, fans across the globe remember not just his 9,230 runs, but the attitude, fight, and passion that defined a generation of Indian cricket.