Virat Kohli: Asia's top captain in SENA Tests, and a bowlers' favourite
Key numbers from his highly successful stint as India Test captain
Kohli finishes as India's most successful captain. He won 40 matches, which is 13 more than MS Dhoni. Among international captains, only Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh have had more Test wins than Kohli.
Under Kohli, India won 16 away Tests - the most for India, ahead of Saurav Ganguly who had won 11. Kohli was the first Asian captain to win a series in Australia. Under Kohli, India won 3-0 in Sri Lanka in 2017, 2-1 in Australia in 2018-19, and beat West Indies away twice 2-0. Earlier this year they left England with a 2-1 lead in the series that was put on hold due to Covid-19 complications with one Test to go. In SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia) countries, Kohli has won seven tests. The next best for an Indian captain in these countries is just three wins. In fact, among all Asian captains Kohli is on top. Wasim Akram and Javed Miandad led Pakistan to four Test wins in SENA countries.
A lot of batters have had captaincy affect their batting, but Kohli operated at a different level soon after he got the captaincy. In his first match as captain, Kohli made twin centuries in Adelaide against Australia, albeit in a losing cause. Overall Kohli made 20 centuries and 18 fifties as captain. Only Graeme Smith has scored more Test centuries as captain.
Under Kohli, India's bowlers flourished. Under him, away from home, India took 20 wickets on 22 occasions out of a possible 35.
Gaurav Sundararaman is a senior stats analyst at ESPNcricinfo