International
Virat Kohli's birthday cake bitter as he ushers 36th with near worst Test year
Barring his debut Test year in 2011, when he played just three games, and 2020 when he played just two Tests due to Covid pandemic, this was Kohli's worst Test year leading to his birthday
Khurram Habib
05 Nov, 2024
The cake on his 36th birthday must have tasted very bitter for Virat Kohli for he approached it after a nightmarish month and a half.
Barring 2020, the year of Covid in which he played just two Test matches, and 2011, when he made his Test debut and played only three Tests, Virat Kohli endured his worst year in Test career leading to his birthday in 2024.
In 2024, from January 1 till his birthday on November 5, Kohli aggregated 250 runs in six matches and averaged 22.72. He could not make a single century.
Compared to this, last year he scored 557 runs and averaged 55.7 from January 1 till his birthday on November 5.
In 2022, he averaged 31.4 till his birthday whereas in 2021 he averaged 29.8 till his birthday.
The year 2020, was miserable but he only played two Test matches and averaged 9.5. Both those Tests were in New Zealand and the entire Indian batting failed in seaming conditions.
Prior to 2020, he averaged over 50 in five of the nine years leading to his birthday, including the debut year of 2011 when he averaged only 15.2.
Kohli aggregated only 192 runs in five Tests this home season, averaging 21.33. His failure along with that of Rohit was one of the reasons why India were blanked by New Zealand in the recent 3-Test series. Kohli scored only 93 runs in three Test matches against New Zealand, averaging just 15.5.
Here is a look at Kohli’s Test statistics leading to his birthday over the past 14 years:
2024: 6 matches, 250 runs, bat average 22.72, 0x100
2023: 7 matches, 557 runs, bat average 55.70, 2 x 100
2022: 4 matches, 220 runs, bat average 31.42, 0x100
2021: 9 matches, 447 runs, bat average 29.8, 0x100
2020: 2 matches, 38 runs, bat average 9.5, 0x100
2019: 6 matches, 476 runs, bat average 68, 1x100
2018: 10 matches, 1063 runs, bat average 59.05, 4x100
2017: 7 matches, 449 runs, bat average 44.9, 2x100
2016: 7 matches, 560 runs, bat average 56, 2x100
2015: 6 matches, 470 runs, bat average 42.72, 2x100
2014: 7 matches, 348 runs, bat average 26.76, 1x100
2013: 4 matches, 284 runs, bat average 56.8, 1x100
2012: 5 matches, 501 runs, bat average 62.62, 2x100
2011: 3 matches, 76 runs, bat average 15.2, 0x100
Tags : Virat Kohli, Cricket, Happy Birthday, Team India, Australia, New Zealand, Anushka Sharma