Virat Kohli T20I Captaincy Record | A look at Kohli’s memorable run as skipper

The end of India’s road in the T20 World Cup marks an end to one of the most influential runs as captain in world cricket. Considered to be the next big thing in Indian cricket, Virat was the automatic choice for the captain when MS Dhoni decided to give up captaincy back in early 2017. Virat has proved to be one of the best in the business during his stint as the man in charge. India has reached great heights under his wing and the following article is an homage to the legend of Virat Kohli. That being said, here is a detailed and insightful look at the T20I Captaincy Record of Virat Kohli.

Virat Kohli T20I Captaincy Record

In his tenure as Indian captain, Kohli led the Men-in-Blue in 50 T20Is, winning 30 of them. However, India lost 16 one of them, while two of them were abandoned. Two matches against New Zealand in 2020 were won through Super Overs. His impressive record puts him at the second spot with the most successful Indian T20 captains of all time, just behind MS Dhoni (42). Notably, Kohli is the seventh player after Dhoni, Eoin Morgan, William Porterfield, Aaron Finch, Kane Williamson, and Asghar Afghan to lead a side in 50 or more T20Is.

Virat’s Batting Records as captain

Kohli is the second-highest run-scorer as captain in T20Is. He has racked up a staggering 1570 runs at a strike rate of 140.55 while leading Team India. Kohli is only behind Australia’s Aaron Finch (1719), who has led the Aussies in 54 T20Is as of now. The 33-year-old also has the second most fifties (13) as captain in T20Is, coming second to Pakistan’s Babar Azam (15). As skipper, Virat has the best batting average as a skipper in T20Is (47.58), followed closely by his prodigy, Pakistan’s Babar Azam (47.12). He also registered his highest T20I score of 94 against the West Indies back in 2019.

India against the opposition under Virat

After being handed over the captaincy of limited-overs in early 2017, Virat’s first test was a home series against England. India was able to overcome England 2-1 in the 3-match series as Virat the captain introduced himself to the cricket world. There was no looking back since then as India began racking up wins home and away and became a force to be reckoned with. India was also able to beat South Africa and England 2-1 at their home turf in 2018. The Men-in-Blue also annihilated the Windies 3-0 at their home soil. After beating Australia away from home in 2019, India lost a 3-match series against New Zealand 2-1. However, a motivated Indian unit was able to avenge the loss and clean sweep the Blackcaps 5-0 the following year.

An away win against Australia (2-1) and a home turf win against England (3-2) in early 2021 were the last we would see Virat leading a T20 side in a bilateral series. Virat led the Indian side in the 2021 T20 World Cup but owing to the crushing blows at the beginning of their campaign, India had an early group-stage exit.

Also Read: Rohit Sharma set to takeover leadership duties from Virat Kohli

Conclusion

Despite having not won a single ICC trophy in his run, Virat Kohli’s contributions to Indian cricket as the T20I captain cannot be overlooked. Yes, it can be said that MS Dhoni laid the foundation for what India is today, but it was Virat who taught them how to win away from home. Virat will be handing over the leadership duties in the very capable hands of Rohit Sharma, who will hope to replicate the feats of his former skipper. Kohli will continue to don the Indian jersey as a player in the shortest format of the game as India prepare for the 2022 T20 World Cup.

Virat Kohli T20I Captaincy Record