By The Numbers: A look at India great Virat Kohli's test career

Test cricket has lost its biggest star with Virat Kohli's retirement from the longer format.

The India great — contemporary cricket's version of Lionel Messi in soccer — put up some staggering numbers across his test career as the beacon of a team followed by 1.4 billion people.

Here's a flavor of those stats over his 14-year test career:

The number of double-hundreds made by Kohli in tests, the most by an India player and the fourth most in test history. Six of them came in an extraordinary 18-month, 33-innings spell from July 2016 to December 2017 — a period in which he was the No. 1 batter in the format.

The number of test centuries made by Kohli — only 14 players have more. He also had 31 half-centuries.

Kohli's batting average in tests.

The number of test appearances made by Kohli. He was captain in 68 tests, winning 40 of them — the most for an Indian captain and fourth overall in test cricket.

Kohli's highest test score, made against South Africa in Pune, India, in October 2019. He finished the innings not out and it was the last of his double centuries.

The number of test runs made by Kohli, which ranks him fourth on the all-time list of India players behind fellow greats Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sunil Gavaskar.

The number of followers Kohli has on Instagram.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

FILE - India's Virat Kohli gestures to a member of a crowd during play on the first day of the fourth cricket test between Australia and India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia, on Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake, File)

FILE - India's captain Virat Kohli kisses the field after scoring a double-century during day two of the first cricket Test match against West Indies at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua, on July 22, 2016. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan, File)

FILE - India's batsman Virat Kohli runs as he celebrates his century during the first day of their cricket test match against South Africa at Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Dec. 18, 2013. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File)

FILE - India's Virat Kohli watches the ball after playing a shot during play on the second day of the fourth cricket test between Australia and India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia, on Dec. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake, File)

FILE - India's Virat Kohli plays a shot during the third one day international cricket match between India and England in Ahmedabad , India, on Feb. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/ Ajit Solanki, File)

FILE - India's Virat Kohli, celebrates his hundred runs during the World Cup Pool B match against Pakistan in Adelaide, Australia, on Feb. 15, 2015. (AP Photo/James Elsby, File)

MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) — The 48-team field for FIFA ’s biggest ever World Cup is complete after a qualifying process that spanned more than two and a half years.

Iraq edged Bolivia 2-1 in an intercontinental playoff at Monterrey in northern Mexico on Tuesday to secure the 48th spot, hours after Bosnia and Herzegovina upset four-time champion Italy on penalties in European playoffs. The result meant Italy was knocked out in qualifying for a third successive World Cup.

Eight teams from Europe were competing for four places on the last day of qualifying. The new intercontinental tournament staged in Mexico determined the other two remaining places. The next-to-last nation to advance was Congo, which edged Jamaica 1-0 in extra time at Guadalajara, Mexico.

Sweden, Turkey and the Czech Republic each qualified in European playoff finals.

Sweden beat Poland 3-2; Turkey edged Kosovo 1-0; and the Czech Republic beat Denmark in a penalty shootout.

The World Cup kicks off June 11 and will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. It will feature 12 groups of four teams.

With its big upset victory of Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina qualified to join Canada, Qatar and Switzerland in Group B.

Sweden will play in Group F with the Netherlands, Japan and Tunisia. Turkey will be in Group D with the United States, Paraguay and Australia.

After reaching its first World Cup since 2006, the Czech team will play in Group A with Mexico, South Africa and South Korea.

The World Cup qualifiers for the 2026 tournament started Sept. 7, 2023 with matches in South America.

Group A

Mexico, Czech Republic, South Africa, South Korea

Group B

Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar and Switzerland

Group C

Brazil, Haiti, Morocco, Scotland

Group D

United States, Australia, Paraguay, Turkey

Group E

Curacao, Ecuador, German,y Ivory Coast

Group F

Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia

Group G

Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand

Group H

Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Uruguay

Group I

France, Norway, Senegal, Iraq

Group J

Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Jordan

Group K

Colombia, Congo, Portugal, Uzbekistan

Group L

Croatia, England, Ghana, Panama

This list has been corrected to show that Congo, not Jamaica, got the final spot in Group K.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

DR Congo's players and fans celebrate at the end of the World Cup playoff final soccer match between DR Congo and Jamaica in Guadalajara, Mexico, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Bosnia's Esmir Bajraktarevic celebrates after winning a penalty shootout during the World Cup qualifying playoff final soccer match between Bosnia and Italy in Zenica, Bosnia, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Bosnia's Esmir Bajraktarevic celebrates after winning a penalty shootout during the World Cup qualifying playoff final soccer match between Bosnia and Italy in Zenica, Bosnia, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Iraq's Aymen Hussein, left, is congratulated after scoring his side's 2nd goal during the World Cup playoff final soccer match between Iraq and Bolivia in Monterrey, Mexico, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Iraq's Aymen Hussein celebrates scoring his side's 2nd goal during the World Cup playoff final soccer match between Iraq and Bolivia in Monterrey, Mexico, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)