Virat Kohli’s record as T20I captain is better than MS Dhoni’s in the SENA countries

Virat Kohli announced on Thursday that he will step down as captain of the Indian T20 team after the T20 World Cup in the UAE, but will continue to lead the team in ODIs and test cricket, a decision that paves the way for Rohit Sharma to captain in the shortest format.

Virat Kohli has yet to win a ICC trophy under his captaincy but the team’s series win under him in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, England and West Indies will remain the highlights of his leadership tenure starting 2017.

To add on that India’s winning percentage under Virat Kohli is better than MS Dhoni’s tenure during which the side won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007. India have won 27 out of 45 matches under Kohli with two tied games and as many abandoned, making it a healthy winning percentage of 65.11.

It was under the captaincy of Virat Kohli, when India won its first away T20 bilateral series against Sri Lanka in 2017.

The first series win in SENA countries came in South Africa in 2018 when India won 2-1. In the same year, India managed to beat a formidable England team in its own backyard with the series result being 2-1.

By far the biggest overseas triumph came in New Zealand in 2019-20 season with Virat Kohli’s team trouncing, the New Zealand 5-0 before going on to lose the subsequent ODI and Test series.

In 2020, India bounced back after losing the ODI series in Australia to win the T20 rubber 2-1. Most recently, India beat mighty England at home 3-2 and Kohli was named the player of the series.

Kohli has played 90 T20 Internationals scoring 3159 runs with 28 fifties.