Virat Kohli's Test average drops below 50: Key stats
Former captain Virat Kohli was a part of India's dominant victory against Sri Lanka in the Day/Night Test in Bengaluru. However, he couldn't do much with the bat, having scored 23 and 13 in two innings. As a result, his Test average has dropped below 50. This is a new low for Kohli, who still eyes his first international ton since November 2019.
Why does this story matter?
Virat Kohli is one of the greatest batters across formats. He recently became the sixth Indian batter to complete 8,000 runs in Test cricket. In a career spanning over a decade, Kohli has smashed 8,043 runs from 101 Tests. This is the first time since August 2017 his average has dropped below 50 in Test cricket. He now averages 49.95 in the format.
Kohli had this distinction
Before the Bengaluru Test, Kohli was the only batter with an average of over 50 in each of the three formats. Kohli has an incredible average of 58.07 in ODI cricket, while he averages 51.50 in the shortest format.
Kohli last scored a ton in November 2019
Despite his stature, Kohli has been short of runs of late. He hasn't scored an international ton in over two years (more than 70 innings). He smashed 136 against Bangladesh in the Eden Gardens Test (Day/Night). Since his last century (November 2019), he has scored 2,478 runs from 63 international games at an average of 37.54. The tally includes 24 half-centuries.
Kohli averages 28.03 in Tests since November 2019
Kohli is undergoing his worst phase in Test cricket. Since November 2019, the former Indian captain has scored just 841 runs in 30 Test innings. His average plunged to 28.03 in this period. Kohli has registered as many as four ducks since scoring his last century. His tally includes six half-centuries and the best score of 79 (against South Africa).
Kohli's golden period!
Between January 2016 and November 2019, Kohli smashed 10,331 runs from just 158 international matches at an incredible average of 71.24. He slammed 36 centuries and seven double-tons during the period. His average in Tests: 66.79, ODIs: 83.73, and T20Is: 55.15.
