From Run Machine To Rusty Engine: Analyzing Virat Kohli’s Test Decline Since 2020

Jatin∙ Updated: Dec 31 2024, 10:51 AM

Virat Kohli hasn't been his usual self in Tests since 2020 [Source: AP]Virat Kohli hasn't been his usual self in Tests since 2020 [Source: AP]

It’s been an awful few years for Virat Kohli in Test cricket, one that no one, not even his biggest critics, saw coming. From being the run-machine who would smash bowlers for fun, to now struggling to even get past fifty consistently, Kohli’s fall in form since 2020 has been nothing short of shocking.

This is the same player who owned every cricketing record under the sun, and now he’s barely holding on. Watching Virat Kohli these days feels like watching a superhero without his cape. It’s confusing, frustrating, and, let’s face it, a little heartbreaking.

The shots that once came naturally now look forced. The confidence? That aura? It’s just vanished. So, what has happened? Is this just a blip, or are we looking at the end of the Kohli dominance in Tests?

Let’s break it all down—the numbers, the struggles, and whether there’s still a way back for the King.

Virat Kohli Test Stats Comparison

Period
Innings
Runs
Average
50s
100s
2011-2019141718354.8322
27
2020-202466200831.3293


Key Observations

Average Decline

  • From 54.83 during 2011-2019 to 31.32 in 2020-2024, Kohli’s average has nearly halved, showing his struggles to convert starts into impactful knocks.
  • Kohli's inability to build innings consistently against quality bowling attacks is evident.

Hundreds Drought

  • In his prime years, Kohli scored 27 centuries in 141 innings, averaging one hundred every 5.2 innings.
  • Post-2020, he has only 3 centuries in 66 innings, averaging one hundred every 22 innings, which shows a massive drop in conversion rate.

Fifties To Hundreds Conversion

  • From 27 hundreds and 25 fifties in 2011-2019, Kohli was known for converting starts into big scores.
  • Post-2020, his conversion rate has dropped significantly, with just 3 hundreds compared to 9 fifties, struggling to dominate bowling attacks as before.

Consistency Against Top Teams

  • Between 2011-2019, Kohli played match-winning innings in tough overseas conditions (Australia, England, and South Africa).
  • In 2020-2024, he has frequently fallen prey to his weakness outside off-stump, especially against pace attacks, exposing his vulnerabilities.


Virat Kohli's Test Performance Since 2020 (Series Wise)

Series
Runs
Innings
Average
Strike Rate
50/100s
BGT 2024-25167
7
27.8353.020/1
NZ vs IND 202493
615.553.761/0
BAN vs IND 202499433.086.090/0
IND vs SA 2023-24172443.079.631/0
IND vs WI 2023197298.550.771/1
WTC Final 202363231.557.80/0
IND vs AUS 2023297649.550.940/1
BAN vs IND 202245415.034.880/0
ENG vs IND 2022 (Rescheduled Test)31215.5052.540/0
SL vs IND 2022
81
3
27.00
57.86
0/0
IND vs SA 2021-22161440.2534.260/1
NZ vs IND 202136218.040.910/0
IND vs ENG 2021218731.1446.482/0
WTC Final 202157228.535.40/0
ENG vs IND 2021172628.6746.242/0
IND vs AUS 2020-2178239.041.491/0
IND vs NZ 20203849.540.00/0


Reasons for Kohli’s Decline

Technical Weaknesses

  • His long-standing vulnerability to deliveries outside off-stump has been exploited by pacers worldwide.
  • Repeated dismissals against deliveries angling away show a lack of adjustment.

Mental Fatigue

  • The burden of captaincy (until 2022) might have affected his focus and ability to execute his natural game.
  • Mental fatigue from constant cricket and bio-bubble life during the pandemic.

Overseas Challenges

  • Conditions in Australia, England, and South Africa, which he once dominated, now seem to trouble him more than ever.
  • Seam movement and pace attacks have consistently undone him.

Limited Big Knocks

  • Kohli’s inability to play marathon innings, which was a hallmark of his prime, has hurt India’s chances in Test matches.
  • Post-2020, he hasn’t scored above 200, and his big hundreds have disappeared

What's Next For Virat Kohli?

Virat Kohli’s slump is the kind of cricketing plot twist no one saw coming. Sure, legends have bad phases, but this has been dragging on long enough to make fans worry. Should Kohli tweak his technique? Should he ditch ODIs and put all his energy into Test cricket? These are the big questions swirling around.

Let’s not sugarcoat it—Kohli’s Test numbers since 2020 have been downright shocking. The guy who once churned out centuries for fun now seems trapped in a maze of poor form. Whether it’s technical flaws or the mental toll of carrying expectations, something’s clearly not clicking. 

Sure, the throne feels rickety right now, but if anyone can turn it around, it’s King Kohli. A little grit, a little grind, and who knows? The greatest comebacks are always written by legends like him!