Which Indian players have featured in at least 100 Tests for India?

Star Indian cricketer Virat Kohli is gearing up to appear in his 100th Test match when he takes the field against Sri Lanka in the first of the three-match Test series on March 4, 2022, at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali. Kohli made his debut in the longest and purest format of the game 11 years back in 2011 against West Indies in Jamaica. He is set to become the 12th Indian to reach the landmark of 100 Tests.

Overall, Virat will be the 71^st player to reach the 100 Test matches club. The fourth-most successful skipper in the history of Test cricket, Virat, has come a long way in the whites. He led the team to victories in 40 matches out of 68 with a winning percentage of 58.82. As a batter, he has amassed 7962 runs with a stellar average of 50.39 in 99 Test matches. The run-machine Kohli has struck 27 tons and 28 half-centuries in the format.

2016 was a fruitful year for the milestone man as he mustered 1215 runs in 12 matches with an average of 75.93 and four centuries. He scored his maiden century in Tests against Australia at the Adelaide Oval in the year 2012. Since then, he went from strength to strength in all the formats including the Tests. To date, he has struck 70 centuries in international cricket. Virat has smashed a staggering seven double centuries which is the most by any Indian player.

Virat Kohli (99) is all set to surpass Mohammad Azharuddin (99)

As Virat Kohli looks to join the elite company of 100 Test matches club, he will surpass Mohammad Azharuddin’s record of 99 Tests. Currently equaled with Azharuddin for playing the same number of matches, Virat will go past the Hyderabad-born achievement of 99 matches. Former skipper Azharuddin had made his Test debut against England way back in the year 1984 in Kolkata.

He ended up finishing his career just one short of the magical 100 Tests when he last played a Test against South Africa in Bangalore in the year 2000. Virat will be joining some of the legendary Indian names who have reached the century of matches.

The 12 Indian players who have appeared in 100 games are Sachin Tendulkar who played 200 Test matches, Rahul Dravid (163), VVS Laxman (134), Anil Kumble (132), Kapil Dev (131), Sunil Gavaskar (125), Dilip Vengsarkar (116), Sourav Ganguly (113), Ishant Sharma (105), Harbhajan Singh (103) and Virender Sehwag (103).

Out of the 11 cricketers from India who have played the century of Test matches, ten have retired. Only Ishant Sharma is the active Indian who is still playing the longest format of the game. To play 100 matches for your country is a big achievement and Kohli is all set to embrace this moment when he walks off the field in the first Test against Sri Lanka.

Indians to play 100 or more Test matches: