Will Virat Kohli be the leading run-scorer in the upcoming series against Bangladesh?

The Indian team is set to play the first match of the 2-match Test series against Bangladesh tomorrow at Chepauk Stadium. This will be the first time since March that Rohit Sharma and company will be seen in a Test series, their last being a 5-match home series against England, which India won 4-1. With this victory, they climbed to the top of the WTC points table, with Australia in second place. 

This 2-match home series will also be a crucial one for India's run machine, Virat Kohli, who is returning to the red-ball format after an 8-month break. His last Test series was against South Africa in December 2023, as he missed the home series against England due to personal reasons. Kohli's last home appearance in Tests was against Australia in February 2023, during a 4-match series that India won 2-1.

Despite not playing frequently in the longer format in recent years, Kohli has been actively participating in both the 50-over and short formats. He was among the leading run-scorers for India during the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023, and also had a stellar season with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the seventeenth edition of the Indian Premier League. All eyes will be on one of India’s greatest batters, who recently announced his retirement from T20 cricket after playing a match-winning knock in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 against South Africa. The big question now is: will Virat Kohli pick up where he left off in the T20 World Cup final, or will his struggles in red-ball cricket continue?

Possible reasons Kohli could be India’s leading run-scorer

1. Strong Record at Chepauk Stadium

The first Test between India and Bangladesh will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, which will mark Kohli’s 114th Test match. Kohli boasts a solid record at Chepauk, with an average of over 45 in 6 games, scoring 267 runs, including a century. Additionally, he has two half-centuries to his name in the red-ball format at this venue.

2. Impressive Stats vs Bangladesh

Virat Kohli has produced some of his finest performances against Bangladesh in international cricket. He scored his first World Cup century against them in the opening game of the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2011, alongside former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag. In Tests, Kohli has an outstanding record against Bangladesh, having scored two hundreds, including a double century in 2017 in Hyderabad.

In total, Kohli has played 6 Test matches against Bangladesh, amassing 437 runs at an average of 54. However, it won’t be easy for Kohli to score runs, as he is returning to Test cricket after an 8-month gap, and he hasn’t been a part of India’s domestic cricket setup since the Sri Lanka tour.

One of the challenges Kohli might face is his struggle against spinners, as seen in the last ODI series against Sri Lanka, which India lost 2-0. The Bangladesh team, coming off a historic win over Pakistan for the first time in international cricket, will undoubtedly aim to stop India’s run machine with their experienced spin bowlers, who performed incredibly well in Pakistan.

India’s squad for the 1st Test of the Bangladesh Test series:

Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Dayal.