Virat Kohli has reflected on his memorable stint as India’s Test captain, calling it a 'golden era' where players grew together as friends and collectively took responsibility for building a successful team. Speaking in a Royal Challengers Bengaluru podcast, Kohli said one of the biggest strengths of that Indian Test side was the bond shared by the core group of players.
He explained that there was very little age difference between senior members of the team, which helped create a comfortable and united dressing-room atmosphere. “The most important thing was our average age. There was no hesitation between seniors and juniors.
We were like a group of friends,” Kohli said. Kohli mentioned that players such as Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja were all in their twenties when they started playing together regularly for India.
According to him, that closeness allowed everyone to speak freely and contribute towards the team’s growth. The former India captain also said leadership responsibilities were shared among the entire squad and not restricted to only the captain or support staff.
“It was not like a few people would take care of everything. Everyone felt they had a role in building the team for the next six to eight years,” he added. Kohli explained that this sense of responsibility pushed players to constantly improve themselves and maintain high standards, which eventually helped India become one of the strongest Test sides in the world.
The batting stalwart took over as India’s Test captain during the 2014 tour of Australia after MS Dhoni stepped down from the format. He went on to become India’s most successful Test captain with 40 wins in 68 matches. Under his leadership, India achieved major overseas success, including a historic Test series victory in Australia in 2018-19.
India also registered seven Test wins in SENA countries, South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia, the most by an Asian captain. Kohli’s tenure also saw the rise of a strong fast-bowling attack led by Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma, which played a huge role in India’s success in overseas conditions.
He retired from Test cricket in 2025 after scoring 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries. He remains India’s fourth-highest run-scorer in the longest format.