3 biggest achievements of Virat Kohli as captain of India

It is a massive day for cricket fans all over the world as one of the stalwarts of the game, Virat Kohli, completes 15 years in the international circuit today (August 18). Kohli made his first appearance for India in an ODI against Sri Lanka on August 18, 2008.

Since that day, Kohli has come a long way and has shattered several records and won plenty of games for the country. He currently has 25,582 runs for India across the three formats of the game.

Kohli has also served India as captain in all three formats and under him, the side has scaled some unbelievable heights. On that note, here's a look at three of his biggest achievements whilst he was at the helm of the Indian team.

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#1 Border-Gavaskar triumph in 2018-19 under Virat Kohli

India beat Australia in Australia for the first time under Kohli

Before the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India had visited Australia 11 times for a Test series without tasting any success. After 71 years, India finally managed to beat the Aussies in their backyard under Virat Kohli.

India won the series 2-1, courtesy of wins in Adelaide and Melbourne. It was a truly historic achievement for India as fans were used to the team getting absolutely pumped by the home team. The strongest of sides had found it tough to beat Australia in Australia but Kohli's men did the unthinkable.

India could have won the series 3-1 had rain stayed away during the final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Nonetheless, the 2018-19 series win in Australia is arguably Kohli's biggest achievement as skipper.

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#2 The resurgence of Test Cricket

Many believe that Kohli's tenure as Test captain came to a premature end

Before Kohli was appointed Test captain, India was barely a force in the longest format of the game. While they were strong at home, away wins were rare. However, everything changed during Kohli's reign at the helm.

Virat Kohli led India in 68 Tests, winning 40 of them, making him the most successful Indian Test captain ever. India won games in England, Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies during his tenure. Under his leadership, India came extremely close to winning series in England and South Africa as well.

At home, India was invincible, losing not even a single game under Kohli. Under his captaincy, there was also a pace bowling revolution as players like Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Umesh Yadav found a lot of success.

As Test captain, Virat Kohli's legacy is absolutely unmatched and the general belief is that his Test captaincy tenure saw a premature end.

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#3 ODI series win in South Africa

India thrashed the hosts, winning the series 5-1

Virat Kohli also had a brilliant run as the skipper of India in limited-overs cricket with the pinnacle being the series win in South Africa in 2018. India won the six-match series 5-1 and that was the country's first-ever series win in the Rainbow Nation.

Kohli led right from the front, smashing 588 runs in six, innings including three centuries. It was a terrific achievement as India absolutely dominated the home side despite them having the services of top-class players like Ab de Villers, Kagiso Rabada, David Miller, Faf du Plessis, and Hashim Amla.