Top 5 Highest Test Scores By Virat Kohli

Aakash Saini

Top 5 highest Test scores by Virat Kohli [Source: @BCCI/x]Top 5 highest Test scores by Virat Kohli [Source: @BCCI/x]

Virat Kohli confirmed his retirement from Test cricket in May 2025 to bring an end to his glorious 14-year career for Team India. In a journey spanning 123 Tests, the cricketer led his national team in 68 of those matches.

One of the all-time greats of Indian cricket, the legendary right-hander tonked seven double centuries in his career, each of them as captain, as part of his illustrious batting tally. Celebrating Kohli’s legacy in Tests, we take a look at five of his highest batting scores in the format.

5. Virat Kohli 211 vs New Zealand, 2016

Just a couple of months after recording his maiden Test double century, Virat Kohli punched out his second double ton and his new highest score, doing so during a home Test against New Zealand in Indore in October 2016. Batting at number four, the legendary Indian batter plundered 211 runs from 366 balls in an innings spanning nine hours against the likes of Trent Boult, Matt Henry and Mitchell Santner. Belting 20 boundaries in the process and sharing a 365-run partnership with fellow centurion Ajinkya Rahane, the innings helped Team India claim a 321-run win and complete a 3-0 sweep over the visitors.

4. Virat Kohli 213 vs Sri Lanka, 2017

In the second Test of India’s home series against Sri Lanka in late 2017 in Nagpur, Virat Kohli outscored his opponents with 213 runs from just 267 balls. Maintaining a batting strike rate of nearly 80, Kohli smeared 17 fours and two huge sixes as India mounted a 405-run lead over Sri Lanka’s first innings total of 205.

Apart from Kohli’s double century, his teammates Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara and middle-order batter Rohit Sharma also unleashed majestic tons as India sealed the Test by an innings and 239 runs to go 1-0 up in the series.

3. Virat Kohli 235 vs England, 2016

Virat Kohli hammered down 235 runs off 340 balls against England in the fourth Test of late-2016 at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. His innings orchestrated India’s remarkable innings victory, even though the Alastair Cook-led visiting group had accrued 400 runs in the first innings of the match.

Batting at number four, Kohli clattered 25 boundaries and a six as he batted with the tail on his way to notch up his then highest Test score. He crafted 100-plus partnerships with fellow centurions Murali Vijay and Jayant Yadav as India amassed 631 despite slipping to 364-7 at one stage.


2. Virat Kohli 243 vs Sri Lanka, 2017

A week after flogging Sri Lanka with 213 runs in Nagpur, Virat Kohli once again made merry of his golden touch with the bat in late-2017, this time doing so in front of his home crowd in Delhi. Leading the Indian team from the front in the series decider, the cricketer unfurled 243 runs from 287 balls, maintaining a stupendous strike rate of 84.67 with 25 elegant boundaries. His innings, coupled with a huge 155 from Murali Vijay and a fighting 65 from Rohit Sharma helped Team India mount 536-7d.

While the match ended up as a high-scoring draw on Day 5, Kohli’s troops sealed the series by a 1-0 margin.

1. Virat Kohli 254* vs South Africa, 2019

In October 2019, Virat Kohli registered the seventh and final double century of his Test career, an innings widely regarded as the magnum opus of his red-ball exploits. Leading the Indian team at Pune’s MCA Stadium against South Africa, Kohli came up clutch with an unbeaten 254* from 336 balls. Unleashing 33 fours and two sixes against a strong Protean attack, India recorded 601-5 before the legendary skipper selflessly declared the innings.

Nonetheless, Virat Kohli’s efforts catalyzed India’s victory by an innings and 137 runs in the match as the hosts took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.