Virat Kohli dominated these calendar years in Test cricket
What's the story
Virat Kohli, the legendary Indian cricketer, retired from Test cricket with immediate effect on May 12..
One of India's most successful batters, Kohli had been in a downward spiral in Tests.
He was way past his prime which spanned from 2016 to 2019.
Meanwhile, here we look at the calendar years that saw Kohli slam runs for fun.
#1
1,215 runs in 2016
As per ESPNcricinfo. Kohli, who did not have a single Test double-ton at the start of 2016, breached the 200-run mark thrice in the year.
His double-tons came in consecutive series against West Indies (away), New Zealand (home), and England (home).
Kohli finished 2016 with 1,215 runs from 12 Tests at 75.93.
He overall slammed the fourth-most runs and joint-most hundreds that year (4). The tally includes two fifties as well.
#2
1,059 runs in 2017
2017 saw Kohli become the first batter to slam three double-hundreds in multiple calendar years.
While his maiden 200-plus score came against Bangladesh (home), his remaining two such scores came in successive matches against Sri Lanka (home).
He overall mustered 1,059 runs from 10 Tests in 2017 at 75.64. Five of his six 50-plus scores that year were converted into tons.
#3
1,322 runs in 2018
Kohli's most prolific year in terms of Test runs came in 2018.
The then Indian skipper ended the year as the leading run-getter, scoring 1,322 runs at an average of 55.08 in 13 matches.
The tally includes five centuries and as many fifties. His best score was 153.
It must be noted that India toured South Africa, England, and Australia that year.
The England series saw him yield 593 runs at 59.3.
#4
612 runs in 2019
2019 was the last year that saw Kohli score a Test double-ton. His 254* in the Pune Test against South Africa remained his highest Test score.
Notably, Kohli's only other Test hundred that year came in India's first-ever Day-Night Test, against Bangladesh in Kolkata.
Though he played just eight Tests in 2019, he finished with 612 runs at 68 (100s: 2. 50s: 2).