Kohli Reflects on India’s Golden Test Era as Captain
NEW DELHI — Virat Kohli has reflected on his successful tenure as India’s Test captain, describing it as a golden era built on friendship, shared responsibility and a united dressing room.
Speaking on a Royal Challengers Bengaluru podcast, Kohli said one of the biggest strengths of the Indian Test side during his captaincy was the close bond among the team’s core players. He said the relatively small age gap between senior players and younger members helped create an open and comfortable environment.
“The most important thing was our average age. There was no hesitation between seniors and juniors. We were like a group of friends,” Kohli said.
Kohli said players including Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja were all in their 20s when they began playing together regularly for India. That closeness, he said, allowed players to speak freely and contribute to the team’s development.
The former India captain said leadership during that period was not limited to the captain or coaching staff. Instead, he said, the entire squad felt responsible for building a strong Test team.
“It was not like a few people would take care of everything. Everyone felt they had a role in building the team for the next six to eight years,” he said.
Kohli said that sense of responsibility pushed players to improve constantly and maintain high standards, helping India become one of the strongest Test teams in the world.
Kohli took over as India’s Test captain during the 2014 tour of Australia after MS Dhoni stepped down from the format. He became India’s most successful Test captain, winning 40 of 68 matches.
Under Kohli, India achieved several major overseas results, including a historic Test series victory in Australia in 2018-19. India also recorded seven Test wins in SENA countries — South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia — the most by an Asian captain.
His captaincy also coincided with the rise of a powerful Indian fast-bowling attack led by Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma, which helped India compete more effectively in overseas conditions.
Kohli retired from Test cricket in 2025 after scoring 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries. He remains India’s fourth-highest run-scorer in the format. (Source: IANS)
