Virat Kohli slipped out of the top 25 rankings for Test batters for the first time since 2012 in ICC's latest update. Here's a timeline of his ranking in that time, including a significant stretch at the very top of the game.
Kohli debuted in Test cricket on June 20, 2011 against West Indies – scoring 4 & 15 in Kingston, Jamaica. After that match, he received his first ICC batting ranking – 149th. In November that year against the same opposition, he made it into the top 100 (98th) for the very first time. This is his journey since then.
January 28, 2012: Breaks into top 50
In January 2012, Kohli scored his first Test century against Australia in Adelaide, scoring 116 & 22 even as India suffered a massive 298-run loss. Those performances lifted him 20 spots from 65th to 45th in the rankings, helping him break into the top 50.
March 18, 2013: Breaks into top 20
After making the top 50 for the first time, Kohli did not drop out of it even once – and one year later, he made it to the top 20. Once again, it was a solid performance against Australia that helped him get there. Kohli's 67* and 34 in Mohali put India on the road to a six-wicket win and took him to 20th in the batting rankings.
February 18, 2014: Breaks into top 10
Another year, another milestone. Kohli would struggle on the tour of England in the summer of 2014, but in February he made the top 10 for the very first time. After remaining in the 11th spot for three consecutive matches, Kohli made 38 & 105* against New Zealand in Wellington to move into 9th – pushing Younis Khan and Graeme Smith down.
November 21, 2016: Breaks into top 5
It took over two and a half years for Kohli to get past the next marker of the top five. If England away caused a dip, England at home brought him back up. Captaining India, he slammed 167 & 81 against them in Visakhapatnam to set up a 246-run win and jump from 14th to 4th in the rankings, overtaking Hashim Amla.
