In the long history of Indian cricket, few captains have left an imprint as deep and permanent as Kohli's. With 40 Test wins from 68 matches and a win percentage of 58.82%, Kohli is India's most successful Test captain. But it wasn't just the numbers; it was the passion and ferocity and spirit he brought to the 5-day game that stamped Kohli's legacy.
From leading fierce contests abroad as captain (and particularly in Australia) to holding fort at home, Kohli built an army and made India a smash in red-ball cricket. His novel ways of captaincy needn't be changed any more than the perspective and decisiveness of a five-bowler attack. Because Kohli ran himself, and therefore India, every match as if they were playing to win instead of competing. Whatever he projected on the field was noticeable; he was so high and so devoted to the battle, his teammates had no choice but to raise their own game, no matter where they were playing or who they were playing against (England, Australia, India, etc.) or on what surface (inky black dirt, light green and nicely cut, lovely flat grass in Chennai before huge crowds).

The calm leader is MS Dhoni, who led India to 27 victories in 60 Tests with a win percentage of 45.00%. MS Dhoni brought many things to Indian cricket, structure and consistency among them, to achieve the ultimate goal of becoming number one in the ICC Test rankings. Prior to MS Dhoni, Sourav Ganguly had a great influence on the mindset of Indian cricket. Ganguly had 21 wins in 49 Tests, and he made the Indian team believe that they could win 'anywhere,' which prepared them for the future.

#ViratKohli : 🇮🇳's most successful test captain 🫡#CricketWithCKK #testcricket pic.twitter.com/HfI3x3Gaz8

— Cricket Ki Kahani (@CricketKK_) May 12, 2025

Also read: Shubman Gill’s touching tribute to Virat Kohli on Test retirement

A Legacy Fueled by Fire and Conviction

While Ganguly laid the groundwork and Dhoni provided stability and authority, Kohli was fire and fight. His intense and aggressive approach to leadership changed the approach of India to Test cricket. Every Test match became a statement Test match during Kohli's time, and the notable wins in 2021 at Lord's or winning in Australia in 2018-19 were carried out with the fire of Kohli's vision at the forefront.

Kohli's time was about making the whites proud. He brought Test cricket back into the mind of a new generation of fans and players. Kohli's legacy will not be based on numbers, but on the fire he brought back for Test cricket in the country and the world.