Here are some of the most outstanding achievements India has had under Virat Kohli.
Winning a Test series in Sri Lanka in 23 Years
Sri Lanka is going through a difficult period in International cricket now, but they have been a tough nut to crack on their home ground. Rangana Herath was at his peak, and Australia had been whitewashed 3-0 in 2016 while the West Indies players had been swept aside in 2018 for 2-0. However, Virat Kohli and his Indian side stood on either side of these losses. No Indian side had won a series on Sri Lankan soil in 23 years before that, the closest being in 2010 when the series had been drawn at 1-1. The series was very crucial for Kohli as a captain because he had yet to register a win in a Test match six months into his captaincy stint.
Bilateral ODI series win in Australia, 2019
The 2019 bilateral series was only the second bilateral ODI series in Australia between these two sides, but given the way India was absolutely destroyed back in 2016, it required a herculean effort. But, as the Indian side has repeatedly proven, adversity brings out the best in the players. Led by MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli manoeuvring the bat and Chahal’s 6-42 in the decider at the MCG, the team went on to win their second and third ODIs by six and seven wickets, registering their first-ever bilateral ODI series win against Australia.
ODI series win in South Africa, 2018
Before India’s ODI record 5-1 win in South Africa led by Virat Kohli in the rainbow nation in 2018, India’s record was 5 Wins, 21 Losses and a draw in the 28 matches played there which resulted in a win-loss ratio of 0.238. Irrespective of the format, winning on South African soil has always been a challenging task for India. The team had toured the country on six different occasions before the 2018 tour and returned home empty-handed every time. So, Virat Kohli-led India visited South Africa at the beginning of 2018; there were great expectations from the team to end the losing streak once and for all. The Test series was a tight finish but tasteless team selection and inexplicable batting display, especially in the fourth innings, made way for a 2-1 defeat. However, India bounced back on the momentum they had built in the win in the last Test at Johannesburg and carried it successfully to the ODI series. Captain Virat Kohli led from the front, adding 558 runs to the score in six matches while the wrist-spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav dropped crucial South African wickets, helping them win an impressive 5-1 victory. This was India’s first ODI series win on South African soil ever.
