In July 2016, Virat Kohli etched his name in the annals of Indian cricket history by becoming the first Indian captain to score a double century in an overseas Test match. This significant achievement occurred during the opening match of the series against the West Indies at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua.
By the end of Day 1, Virat Kohli was unbeaten on 143, having guided India to a formidable 302 for four. Continuing his stellar performance on the second day, Virat Kohli reached his maiden double century in Test cricket before lunch. His remarkable innings came to an end shortly after he reached the milestone, as fast bowler Shannon Gabriel dismissed him for 200 runs off 283 balls, a knock that included 24 boundaries. India’s first innings ultimately concluded with a declaration at 566 for 8.
India secured a comprehensive victory in the match, winning by an innings and 92 runs. Although Ravichandran Ashwin was named Player of the Match for his all-round performance, including seven wickets and a score of 113 runs, Virat Kohli’s historic knock was widely celebrated.
Virat Kohli joined the elite group of Indian captains who have scored a Test double century, alongside MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, and Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi. Notably, while the other captains each have one double century to their name, Virat Kohli has achieved this feat seven times, underscoring his status as one of the premier batsmen in the sport.
Since his Test debut in 2011, Virat Kohli has played 113 matches for India, amassing 8,848 runs at an average of 49.15 and a strike rate of 55.56, with 29 centuries and 30 half-centuries. He is currently fourth on the list of India’s all-time leading run-scorers in Test cricket, following Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sunil Gavaskar.
