In Pics | Times Virat Kohli Staged A Comeback After Lean Patches In Test Cricket

Here's a look at some of the biggest comebacks Virat Kohli has made throughout his Test career after suffering a lean patch.

Virat Kohli has been out of form in Test cricket for quite a while now. In the recent India vs New Zealand three-Test series, the former India captain could only manage to score 93 runs across six innings despite playing at home. India faced their first ever 3-0 clean-sweep at home in a series of over three or more Tests.

Kohli averaged 15.50 in the IND vs NZ series. He has only managed to score 192 runs across his last 10 Test innings. Notably, Kohli has only scored two Test hundreds in the last five years. In 2024 so far, Kohli has played six Test matches and averages 22.72, having scored 250 runs. (Image Credits: PTI)

With the 0-3 series loss against New Zealand having dented India’s hopes of qualifying for the WTC 2023-25 final on their own terms, they still have a chance to do so in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, where they will need to defeat Australia by 4-0 in the five-match Test series Down Under — a remarkably difficult job. With such a stern task at hand for India, Kohli’s dipping form does come as worrisome. However, Kohli has been there several times in his 16-year long career so far. And he has found a way to stage a remarkable comeback from the deepest of the slumps. Here’s a look at a few of the times when Virat Kohli made a comeback from a lean patch. (Image Credits: PTI)

Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2011-12: Virat Kohli's first significant comeback story dates back to the 2011-12 tour of Australia. Struggling with low scores in Test cricket, Kohli faced immense pressure. Playing in Australia, where legends like Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid appeared vulnerable against bowlers such as James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc and Ben Hilfenhaus, a 23-year-old Kohli emerged as the standout performer, amassing over 300 runs—more than any other Indian batter during the series. This included a fearless 116 in the third Test at Adelaide. (Image Credits: PTI)

Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2014-15: In 2014, Kohli faced a torrid time during India’s tour of England, managing scores of 1, 8, 25, 0, 39, 28, 0, 7, 6 and 20 in five Tests, averaging just 13.50 across 10 innings. Following this dismal performance, Kohli was under intense pressure. However, he showcased his resilience once again by becoming the highest run-scorer for India in the 2014-15 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, amassing 692 runs in four Tests (eight innings), which included four centuries and a half-century. (Image Credits: PTI)

2022 T20 Asia Cup: Between 2019 and 2022, Kohli faced the most challenging period of his career. He stepped down as T20I captain, lost his leadership roles in Tests and ODIs, and went without scoring a century at any level. After a month-long break from cricket, Kohli made a remarkable comeback by ending his 1020-day century drought with his first T20I hundred, achieved against Afghanistan in the 2022 Asia Cup. (Image Credits: PTI)

Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023: In the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 at Ahmedabad, Kohli scored 186, aiding India in drawing the match and securing a 2-1 series victory, which also qualified them for the World Test Championship final. This innings marked Kohli's first Test century in over three years. (Image Credits: PTI)