Tough to believe, but it’s official — Virat Kohli has retired from Test cricket. It’s the end of an era for Indian fans who’ve watched him bring intensity, fire, and fight to the longest format of the game. Virat Kohli as Test captain in India led the team through some unforgettable wins, not just at home but overseas too. As we say goodbye to his red-ball journey, let’s take a look back at how he performed in whites — including Virat Kohli’s captaincy record in Test matches.

The Greatest Ambassador of Test Cricket. Period. 🐐#ThankYouVirat 👑 pic.twitter.com/0mLzFVjOtp

— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) May 12, 2025

Before we dive into the big moments of his captaincy, here’s a quick throwback: Virat Kohli was India’s Test cap #269, making his debut on June 20, 2011, in Kingston against the West Indies. He shared that debut with Abhinav Mukund and Praveen Kumar, not a bad trio to kick things off with, right?

Virat Kohli as Test Captain in India：When Did He Take Over as Skip？

Virat captained India for the first time in Test Cricket during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2014-15. He led India in the first Test match as their regular captain, MS Dhoni, missed out. Virat returned to captain India for the fourth Test match as Dhoni retired from red-ball cricket, owing to a poor run over the last few years. He led the team until 2019, before passing the baton to Rohit Sharma, who held the role for over five years.

Virat Kohli also has the record for most Test runs as an Indian captain, with 5,864 runs in 68 matches (113 innings) at an excellent average of 54.80, including 20 centuries and 18 fifties. 🙌 🙌#TeamIndia | #ViratKohli | @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/Afw34G8sD3

— BCCI (@BCCI) May 12, 2025

Earlier this month, Rohit Sharma also announced his retirement from Test cricket, which now leaves a big question mark: who’s next in line to lead India’s red-ball squad? While there’s been no official word yet, Shubman Gill is widely seen as one of the top contenders for the job.

Related Article：Who Will be India Test Captain Against England？

Virat Kohli’s Captaincy Record in Test Cricket

When it comes to Virat Kohli’s captaincy record in Test, the numbers really speak for themselves. He led India in 68 red-ball matches, winning 40 of them—that’s a solid 58.82% win rate. Not bad at all, right? Sure, there were 17 losses and 11 draws along the way, but no Indian skipper has done better in terms of pure stats.

Illustrious legacy 🇮🇳
Inspiring intensity 👏
Incredible icon ❤️

The Former #TeamIndia Captain gave it all to Test Cricket 🙌

Thank you for the memories in whites, Virat Kohli 🫡#ViratKohli | @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/febCkcFhoC

— BCCI (@BCCI) May 12, 2025

Virat Kohli as Test captain in India stands at the top of the pile. His win rate outshines the likes of MS Dhoni (45%) and Sourav Ganguly (42.86%). And his home record? Pretty dominant: 24 wins in just 31 matches. Even overseas, where things usually get tricky, he helped India notch up 16 wins from 36 Tests.

Notable Achievements

• Most Successful Test Captain of India (58.82 win percentage).
• Fourth most successful Test captain overall with 40 wins. He is behind Steve Waugh (41), Ricky Ponting (48), and Graeme Smith (53).
• Led India to the first-ever Border-Gavaskar Trophy victory away from home in 2018-19.
• Won all 11 Test series he captained India on home soil.

Conclusion

All in all, Virat Kohli’s captaincy record in Test cricket isn’t just impressive—it’s the kind that set new benchmarks for those who followed. His legacy? Aggression, fitness, and a winning mindset. As the team now looks ahead to its next leader, Kohli’s era will be a tough one to match.