Former India captain Virat Kohli has often been regarded as the greatest limited-overs batsman by many. He has achieved immense success in the Test arena as well, and is also labelled as the best all-format batsman in the ‘Fab 4’, which is a fan-made club with others including England’s Joe Root, New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, and Australia’s Steve Smith.
However, Kohli’s average now is on the verge of getting below 50! Virat Kohli scored 45 runs in the first innings of his 100th Test – against Sri Lanka in Mohali – and India didn’t get to bat the second time.
Virat Kohli’s Test average, which once crossed 55, is now slightly more than 50: 50.35 and could dip below the 50 mark, which is considered the hallmark of the greatest ever batters, if he gets out below 43 runs in the first innings in Bangalore, where the second Test – a day-night contest to be played with the pink ball – will be held.
Virat Kohli had first crossed that 50 mark in averages in his 52nd Test match. Since then, it has never nosedived below this elite standard. That it is still above it despite his slump in form and lack of a three-figure score for more than two years indicates his staggering dominance from 2015 to 2019.
If Virat Kohli fails in the second Test, his average will drop below for the first time in 49 innings.
However, his average will drop down below 50 for the first time in 49 Tests if he couldn’t manage 43 runs in the first innings of the Bangalore Test.
Virat Kohli’s average can be split into two time frames: before and after his last international ton, which came in November 2019. Before that, Virat Kohli averaged a brilliant 54.97, however, since then, Kohli is averaging a mediocre 28.75.
Two other members of Fab 4 are well ahead of Kohli: Steve Smith saw his average crawl over 60 with his 78 against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, and Williamson averages 53.47, albeit he has played 14 fewer Tests than Kohli. Joe Root’s average (49.23) is lower than Kohli’s but the England captain was in supreme form last year and is likely to plunder runs this year as well.
