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Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket. The news made the cricket world stop and look back at his amazing career. Virat as a test batsman was good, Virat as India’s test captain was a beast! For more than ten years, Kohli was one of the main reasons behind India’s success in Test cricket. He was the Test captain from 2014 to 2022, bringing big changes to the team during this time.
India did not just play Test matches under his leadership – they played with great confidence and energy. They became one of the strongest teams in the world. Virat’s style was bold and fearless, and it helped the players believe in themselves and perform better.
This is the story of how Virat Kohli changed Indian cricket and created a strong legacy that will be remembered for many years.
When Virat became the Test captain in 2014, taking over from MS Dhoni, Indian cricket was at an important point. In the past, India was very strong at home but often did not do well in matches played in other countries. Many times, they were happy with a draw or a close loss. But Virat was different – he didn’t like being satisfied with just okay results.
His first match as captain in Adelaide in 2014 showed his mindset clearly. He scored two centuries (115 and 141) and almost helped India chase 364 runs on the final day. They lost the match by just 48 runs. When he was asked if he regretted not trying for a draw, he simply said, “I wasn’t thinking of a draw at any stage!” He also said “If me (141) and Vijay (99) had added about 40 runs out there, the game would have been different” For Kohli, winning was always the main goal.
Kohli’s aggressive attitude spread to the whole team. He made everyone believe that India could win anywhere in the world. Former coach Ravi Shastri said that Kohli’s passion inspired the other players too. This was a big change. India changed from a team that was used to losing in other countries to a team that expected to win every time. This strong mindset became the new identity of the Indian team.
Kohli’s strong focus on fitness was a key part of his captaincy. He made it very clear: no matter how talented a player was, they had to be physically fit. This was a big change in Indian cricket, where in the past, skill was more important than fitness. Kohli showed the way by keeping himself in top shape, becoming one of the fittest players in the world. His teammates followed his lead, and soon the whole team became stronger, faster, and better at fielding.
This focus on fitness also changed the way the team played. Kohli often chose to play with five bowlers – usually including four fast bowlers (overseas) – which was very different from India’s usual style of using more spin bowlers. This plan needed pacers who could stay strong and fit for long periods and batsmen who could take more responsibility. Because of this, India became a team that could fight hard and last longer than their opponents, especially in difficult matches overseas.
One of the biggest things Virat Kohli will be remembered for is how he changed India’s fast bowling. Before his time, India mostly depended on spin bowlers, and fast bowlers were usually just support. But Virat changed that thinking. He trusted and supported a group of fast bowlers like Bumrah, Shami, Ishant, Umesh, and even Bhuvi, who always had some fitness issues, unfortunately. Helping India become one of the best pace attacks in the world.
Under Kohli, these fast bowlers didn’t just take wickets – they scared batsmen. They bowled with speed, power, and confidence. Bhuvneshwar Kumar even said that Kohli’s hunger to create chances and his aggressive captaincy made bowlers feel free to attack. Because of this, India’s pace attack played a big role in many famous wins overseas, like the Test series wins in AUS (2018–19), WI (2016, 2019), and taking a 2–1 lead in England (2021).
Even though Virat loved pace bowling, he was also smart about choosing the right combinations for the conditions. In home matches, he always picked both Ashwin and Jadeja. His usual plan in India was to play 3 fast bowlers and 2 spinners. In overseas matches, he mostly used 4 pacers and just 1 spinner, mostly Jadeja, because he was a better batsman than Ashwin.
Umesh was more dangerous in Indian conditions than abroad. His reverse swing with the old ball at home was very useful and helped Kohli break strong partnerships. Before Jasprit Bumrah made his debut, Kohli used a combination of Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, and Umesh Yadav as his three main pacers, along with Ashwin and Jadeja. After Ishant retired, Bumrah took over that lead role, both in home and away Test matches.
Virat Kohli’s captaincy is closely linked with India’s big wins in other countries. His biggest moment came in 2018–19 when India became the first Asian team to win a Test series in Australia (2–1). This win was more than just a result – it was a big message to the world that India could win anywhere.
Virat had a tough time in England during the 2014 tour, where he struggled with the bat. But in the 2018 England tour, he made a strong comeback and scored 593 runs in the series. He was also leading India well in the 2021 England tour and had strong momentum, but COVID disrupted the series. During Virat’s captaincy period, India was leading the series 2-1. The tour was paused when India was playing with full energy and looked set to win.
One of Kohli’s most famous moments came during the Lord’s Test in 2021. Before England’s final innings, he told his team, “They should feel hell out there for the next 60 overs.” This one line showed his aggressive and fearless way of leading—a style that focused on putting pressure on the opponents till the very end.
Kohli also led India to series wins in Sri Lanka (2015, 2017) and the West Indies (2016, 2019). He never lost his love for Test cricket, even when shorter formats like T20 were becoming more popular. He supported Test cricket strongly and led India to the final of the first-ever World Test Championship in 2021. Although India lost to New Zealand in that final, just reaching there proved how consistent India was under his leadership.
With 40 wins in 68 Test matches as captain—a win percentage of 58.82%—Kohli became India’s most successful Test captain, going past MS Dhoni (27 wins) and Sourav Ganguly (21 wins).
Virat Kohli’s success as captain was not just about passion – it was also supported by strong numbers. He won 40 Test matches as captain, which puts him fourth on the list of most successful Test captains in the world, behind Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting, and Steve Waugh. Out of those 40 wins, 16 came in overseas matches, which is a big achievement for any Indian captain. His batting was also top-class during his captaincy. He had an average of 54.80, the highest for anyone who captained in at least 50 Test matches. In the 2014–15 Australia series, he scored 692 runs—the most by any Indian in a single overseas Test series. Under his leadership, India held the No. 1 Test ranking for a long time and won the ICC Test Mace for five consecutive years. He took India from being ranked seventh in 2014 to one of the strongest teams in world cricket, where even a loss overseas felt like a surprise.
Virat also faced tough times in the final phase of his Test career. In the last two years of playing Tests, his form dropped – his batting average fell to 32.56, and he scored only one century (in Perth, 2024) since July 2023. But his biggest success was not just wins and runs – it was the shift he brought to Indian cricket. He built a team that reflected his strong and aggressive attitude. He made fitness a must for every player and gave the team the belief that they could win anywhere in the world. If Sachin Tendulkar represented Indian cricket’s rise in terms of economy, Virat Kohli became the face of a bold and fearless India. He didn’t just follow the old style of Indian cricket – he changed it completely.
With Virat retiring after Rohit, Indian Test cricket is now at an important point. Experienced players like Pujara and Rahane are also no longer part of the team, and younger players like Shubman Gill may take leadership roles next. The BCCI even asked Kohli to think again about his decision because of the upcoming England tour, but he made it clear he is stepping away. Finding someone to bat at No. 4 and bring the same energy as Kohli will be very hard. Young talents like Sai Sudharsan may and should be considered, but it will be nearly impossible to replace Kohli.
Virat’s captaincy in Test cricket changed everything. He took a team that used to play safe and turned it into one that played to win. His aggressive mindset, focus on fitness, and trust in fast bowlers created a new standard for Indian cricket. As the BCCI rightly said in their X post, “An era ends in Test cricket, but the legacy will continue FOREVER!”
Kohli once said, “I have always believed in giving my 120 percent in everything I do.” That’s exactly what he gave to Indian Test cricket – and in doing so, he gave India a team that believed it could win anywhere. The King may have stepped away, but his legacy will live on.
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