
Virat Kohli has seen a dip in his form over the past few years. Virat Kohli’s Test average currently stands at 47.49, with 9,166 runs to his name. To put into perspective, Kohli’s Test average in 2019 was constantly in the mid-fifties, the highest being 55.10, and was once the only batsman to have an average of 50 or above in all three formats. For eight years, Kohli’s average has not gone below 47.5, and now, his batting average is third lowest amongst the players that have scored 9000 in Tests, and the only one of the fab four to have a Test average below 50.
His second innings in Perth gave glimpses of a potential comeback of the former Indian captain, as he always brings his A-game Down Under in the Border Gavaskar Trophy. But other than the innings that marked his 81st international century in Perth, he has produced rather disappointing scores, (5,7,11,3).

Kohli looked a little uncomfortable facing the deliveries in the first innings of the third test in Brisbane, as he fell to his nemesis, the outside off stump ball, bowled by Josh Hazlewood yet again. This dismissal brought his average down to the lowest it has been in eight years, after his test outing against England that put his average at a 47.50.
Kohli reached the average of 50 after scoring a double century against England in 2016, and for six years, it did not go below that mark. His outing in the Bengaluru pink ball Test match against Sri Lanka in 2022 saw him drop below that mark, and has never recovered since. He scored 23 and 13 in his two innings, as Shreyas Iyer’s 92 and 67 helped India win the match comfortably.
There are a total of 19 players who boast the stat of having 9000 runs in Tests, and amongst those, Virat Kohli sits third lowest in terms of batting average. He is followed by Hashim Amla with 46.64 and Alastair Cook with 45.35.
Player | Mat | Runs | HS | Average | 100 | 50 |
Kumar Sangakkara | 134 | 12400 | 319 | 57.4 | 38 | 52 |
Steve Smith | 112 | 9805 | 239 | 56.35 | 33 | 41 |
Jacques Kallis | 166 | 13289 | 224 | 55.37 | 45 | 58 |
Kane Williamson | 105 | 9276 | 251 | 54.88 | 33 | 37 |
Sachin Tendulkar | 200 | 15921 | 248* | 53.78 | 51 | 68 |
Brian Lara | 131 | 11953 | 400* | 52.88 | 34 | 48 |
Rahul Dravid | 164 | 13288 | 270 | 52.31 | 36 | 63 |
Younis Khan | 118 | 10099 | 313 | 52.05 | 34 | 33 |
Ricky Ponting | 168 | 13378 | 257 | 51.85 | 41 | 62 |
Shivnarine Chanderpaul | 164 | 11867 | 203* | 51.37 | 30 | 66 |
Sunil Gavaskar | 125 | 10122 | 236* | 51.12 | 34 | 45 |
Steve Waugh | 168 | 10927 | 200 | 51.06 | 32 | 50 |
Joe Root | 152 | 12918 | 262 | 50.85 | 36 | 64 |
Allan Border | 156 | 11174 | 205 | 50.56 | 27 | 63 |
Mahela Jayawardene | 149 | 11814 | 374 | 49.84 | 34 | 50 |
Graeme Smith | 117 | 9265 | 277 | 48.25 | 27 | 38 |
Virat Kohli | 121 | 9166 | 254* | 47.49 | 30 | 31 |
Hashim Amla | 124 | 9282 | 311* | 46.64 | 28 | 41 |
Alastair Cook | 161 | 12472 | 294 | 45.35 | 33 | 57 |
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