(Cricket news) Virat Kohli will play his 100th Test match on Friday in Mohali against Sri Lanka, becoming only the 12th Indian player to achieve this feat. Playing a 100th Test match is a big achievement for any cricketer but to do so in this day and age while continuously playing all 3 formats with the burden of captaincy is remarkable. It is a shame that Virat Kohli will not be the captain in the Test. Originally there was supposed to be no crowd but the BCCI then decided to allow 50 % attendance.
The achievement of 100 Tests is monumental but it doesn't reflect on what Virat Kohli's contribution to Indian cricket and Test cricket. Kohli is widely regarded as the face of Test cricket by many experts and former cricketers and has always been very vocal about the importance of Test cricket. He often misses limited overs series to stay fit for the red ball games. It is safe to say that Virat Kohli has played a big part in keeping Test cricket alive.
Kohli is also one of the most successful Test captains in the history of Test cricket with 40 wins. Only Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting and Steve Vaughan have more wins as captains. The 33-year-old turned India into the most feared away side in Test cricket. He became the first Indian captain to win an away series in Australia. India also have a 2-1 lead in England with 1 Test left which will be played later this year.
As a batter, Kohli has been one of the best in the world. In his 99 Tests he has scored 7962 runs at an average of 55.7 including 27 centuries and 28 fifties. He also has 7 double centuries, all of them when he was captain. Indian fans will be hoping that Kohli's batting form only improves now that he is not the captain. Kohli has played so many memorable and iconic knocks in both home and away games. He has been a real match winner for India and fans will be hoping that India can achieve victory to commemorate Virat's milestone.
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