Most 200s scored within a Calendar Year in Tests

There’s a saying in Cricket: “Form is temporary, but class is permanent.”

But few particular players keep their form over an extended period. Virat Kohli since 2014 has been keeping on denying the above saying by piling up runs in all three formats year on year.

In Test cricket, if you look at what Mohammad Yousuf has done in the year 2006, that’s a classic example of how one’s extended form can bring in huge numbers to their rally.

So does Michael Clarke in 2012. The former Australian captain’s form with the bat was incredible throughout that year. Clarke scored four double centuries in 2012, which is still the record for Most Test double centuries scored by any batsman in a calendar year.

Indian captain Virat scored 3 double centuries each in 2016 & 2017 – first to score 3 double centuries in two consecutive years. He added one more to his name later in 2019, raising his double century numbers to 7 in Test cricket, the highest for India. Here is a master blog on Test double centuries, where you can see country wise double hundreds’ contributions.

For now, let’s see who scored the maximum double centuries in Test cricket inside a calendar year, over the years.

Players with 3 or more 200+ scores in a year

PLAYER	NO OF 200S	YEAR	TEST RUNS THAT YEAR	INNINGS PLAYED	AVERAGE
Michael Clarke (AUS)	4	2012	1595	18	106.33
Virat Kohli (IND)	3	2016	1215	18	75.93
Virat Kohli (IND)	3	2017	1059	16	75.64
Ricky Ponting (AUS)	3	2003	1503	18	100.20
Don Bran (AUS)	3	1930	978	8	122.25
Brendon McCullum (NZ)	3	2014	1164	16	72.75

MOST 200+ TEST SCORES IN A CALENDAR YEAR

Let us now see the double hundreds scored by these batsmen in those special years, one by one.

Michael Clarke 200+ Scores in 2012

RUNS	MONTH	AGAINST	VENUE
329*	January 2012	India	Sydney
210	January 2012	India	Adelaide
259*	November 2012	South Africa	Brisbane
230	November 2012	South Africa	Adelaide

MICHAEL CLARKE 200+ SCORES IN 2012

Virat Kohli 200+ Scores in 2016 and 2017

RUNS	MONTH	AGAINST	VENUE
200	July 2016	West Indies	Antigua and Barbuda
211	October 2016	New Zealand	Indore
235	December 2016	England	Mumbai
204	February 2017	Bangladesh	Hyderabad
213	November 2017	Sri Lanka	Vidharbha
243	December 2017	Sri Lanka	Delhi

VIRAT KOHLI 200+ SCORES IN 2016 & 2017

Don Bran 200+ scores in 1930

RUNS	MONTH	AGAINST	VENUE
254	June 1930	England	Lord’s
334	July 1930	England	Headingley
232	August 1930	England	Kennington Oval

DON BRAN 200+ SCORES IN 1930

All these 200s of Don Bran came in a single Test Series, which is still the record for the most double centuries scored by a batsman in a single Test series. The tally of 974 runs scored by Bran in that series is also the highest ever aggregate score by a batsman in a 5-match Test series. One of Bran’s insane cricketing record.