Virat Kohli, synonymous with hard work, dedication, and brilliance, is an icon in India and beyond. He needs no introduction; every cricket lover on the planet is well-acquainted with the exploits of Virat Kohli in cricket.
Virat Kohli’s exploits are not limited to one format of the game; he treats each format equally, boasting outstanding records in all three formats.
Nevertheless, Virat has always held a special affinity for test cricket and lists it as his favorite format of the game. He always emphasizes the importance of test cricket and why it is necessary for the game.
Precisely, why he loves scoring runs in test cricket and boasts a great record overall. One record, in particular, the double centuries of Virat Kohli in test cricket, is admired by millions worldwide. This is one of the reasons he is called the king of cricket.
In this article, we will delve into the double centuries scored by once-in-a-lifetime performer Virat Kohli.
Let’s begin!
Virat debuted in 2011 in test cricket and started as an average player. He didn’t start scoring centuries from the onset; it took him a couple of years to adapt to the demands of test cricket.
However, when he started playing well for the country and was in the form of his lifetime, he started scoring double centuries for fun. At one point, it looked like he wouldn’t stop and get a bunch of them, but that wasn’t the case.
Here is the list of Kohli double centuries you should read into.
Virat Kohli Double Century List:
| Opposition | Score | B/F | Venue | Date |
| West Indies | 200 | 283 | Sir Vivian Richards Stadium | 21-Jul-16 |
| New Zealand | 211 | 366 | Holkar Cricket Stadium | 08-Oct-16 |
| England | 235 | 340 | Wankhede Stadium | 08-Dec-16 |
| Bangladesh | 204 | 246 | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium | 09-Feb-17 |
| Sri Lanka | 213 | 267 | Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium | 24-Nov-17 |
| Sri Lanka | 243 | 287 | Arun Jaitley Stadium | 02-Dec-17 |
| South Africa | 254* | 336 | Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium | 02-Oct-19 |
Virat Kohli has notched up an impressive seven double centuries, which is a lot considering the amount of time, hard work, practice, concentration, and dedication required to attain just one double century.
Considering that only 3 batsmen have more double centuries than Virat, it says a lot about the premier Indian batsman. Among the active cricketers, only Joe Root comes close to Virat, having scored 5 double centuries.
To break it down further:
How many double centuries of Virat Kohli come while batting first: 5 out of 7.
How many double centuries of Virat Kohli came while batting second: 2 out of the 7.
Now, let’s look at when and how these Virat Kohli double-centuries were achieved.
The maiden double century of Virat Kohli came against the West Indies in July 2016 when he was in the peak form of his career.
In the match against the West Indies in North Sound, India elected to bat first and posted an imposing total of 566/8 with the help of 200 of the 283 balls from Virat Kohli and 113 of the 253 balls from Ravi Ashwin. In response, the West Indies crumbled like a deck of cards and could only muster 243 runs in the first inning. India enforced the follow-on, and once again, the West Indies struggled, being bowled out for 231. India won the game by an inning and 92 runs.
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A little later, in October of the same year, Virat achieved his second double century against New Zealand. This Virat Kohli double century was a patient one, as he played 366 balls to accumulate 211 runs.
India declared 557/5 in this first inning, with Virat (211) and Ajinkya Rahane (188) contributing to this massive total posted on the board. In reply, New Zealand scored 299 runs. India batted again and reached 216/3 to set a target of 475 runs. In their second innings, New Zealand lost too many wickets early, and their innings collapsed for 153 runs and lost by 321 runs.
The third Virat Kohli double century came when England toured India in December 2016. In the fourth test at the Wankhede Stadium, England posted a decent 400 runs on the board in the first inning. In response, India posted a formidable total of 631 runs, with Virat Kohli scoring 235, Murali Vijay scoring 136, and Jayant Yadav Scoring 104 runs.
In the second inning, England struggled and bundled out 195 runs, losing the game by an inning and 36 runs.
Virat Kohli double century number four came in a one-off match in February 2017 against Bangladesh in Hyderabad.
India posted a mammoth total of 687/6 after batting first, with significant contributions from Virat Kohli (204), Murali Vijay (108), and Wriddhiman Saha (106*). In response, Bangladesh replied with 388 runs and forced India to bat again. India made 159/4 in the second inning, setting a target of 459 for Bangladesh. The visitors were dismissed for 250 runs in the second inning, losing the game by 208 runs.
Fans didn’t need to wait long for another Virat Kohli double-century. We witnessed the batting maestro score another double-century in November 2017 against Sri Lanka in Nagpur.
Batting first, Sri Lanka posted an abysmal total of 205 runs. In response, Indian batters showcased their class by scoring 610/6, with Virat Kohli leading the batting with 213 runs off 267 balls. Cheteshwar Pujara (143), Murali Vijay (128), and Rohit Sharma (102) played the supporting roles in that remarkable innings.
Trailing by 405 runs, Sri Lanka were bundled out for 166 runs within 50 overs, losing the game by an innings and 239 runs.
The sixth Virat Kohli double century came in the same series against Sri Lanka in the 3rd test match in Delhi.
Batting first, India declared their innings at 536/7 with Murali Vijay scoring a century and Kohli a double century. Murali Vijay made 155 off 267 balls, and Virat Kohli made 243 runs off 287 balls. In response, Sri Lanka batted well and posted a competitive total of 373 runs. India played again and declared at 246/5 to give Sri Lanka a mountainous target of 410 runs to chase. In the fourth innings, Sri Lanka toiled hard not to lose the game; ultimately, they made 299/5, and the game ended in a draw.
For another Virat Kohli double century, fans needed to wait for two years as it came in a series against South Africa in Pune. India declared their innings at 601/5 while batting first. Mayank Agarwal gave the team a good start by contributing 108 runs, and Virat Kohli made an unbeaten 254 runs with the help of 33 fours and two sixes.
In response, South Africa could only manage 275 and 189 in two innings, losing the game to India by an inning and 137 runs.
Virat Kohli’s exceptional record of double centuries has earned him the nickname “run machine” and solidified his status as the Goat of Cricket in the history of the sport.
While he currently has seven double centuries, surpassing the records of Brian Lara (9), Kumar Sangakkara (11), and Don Bradman (12) is an uphill task. Whether he can surpass these legends remains to be seen, but given his skills, determination, and fitness, Virat Kohli certainly has the potential to break these records in this format of the game. He still has a lot to offer in test cricket, so who knows, he might be able to achieve even greater heights.
Apart from these Virat double centuries, there is a long list of international cricket centuries that you should check out in this article, International Cricket Centuries by Virat Kohli.
Which one is your favorite double century of Virat Kohli? Do tell us in the comments. Also, give us your prediction on how many double centuries of Virat Kohli will get to see in the future.
Do not forget to check out the FAQs related to Virat double centuries in the next section as well.
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Ans: Virat made five out of seven double centuries while batting first.
Ans: Virat made 254 not out in a test match against South Africa in 2019.
Ans: Unfortunately, Virat Kohli hasn’t scored any double centuries in ODIs, though he came close with 183 runs against Pakistan in the 2012 Asia Cup.
Ans: Of course, Virat Kohli can reach 100 centuries and surpass Sachin’s record, but it won’t be easy given the number of matches he plays these days.
Ans: Kohli’s most recent century came against Pakistan in the latest Asia Cup, where he scored 122 runs.
Ans: 2017 was the best year for Kohli as he scored 2818 international runs across formats with 11 hundreds and 10 fifties.
Ans: Virat Kohli occupied the number one ranking in ODIs for 1258 straight days.
Ans: Virat Kohli can surely break Sachin Tendulkar’s record and even become the next god of cricket. Virat has already broken many of Sachin’s records, but achieving a hundred centuries is still a significant challenge. To answer the question, yes, Virat Kohli can definitely break this record, as he has already scored 77 hundreds across formats.
