Virat Kohli Biography – The King of Indian International Cricket

2014: T20 World Cup and assuming Test-captaincy

During the New Zealand tour, he averaged 58.21 in the five-match ODI series in which his all efforts went in vain as India was defeated 4–0. He made 214 runs at 71.33 in the two-match Test series that followed including an unbeaten 105 on the last day of the second Test at Wellington that helped India save the match.

Dhoni returned to the team as captain for the second match at Brisbane where Kohli scored 19 and 1 in a four-wicket defeat for India. In the Melbourne Boxing Day Test, he made his personal best Test score(of that time) of 169 in the first innings while sharing a 262 runs partnership with Rahane, India’s biggest partnership outside Asia in ten years. Kohli followed it with a score of 54 in India’s second innings on the fifth day helping his team draw the Test match. Dhoni announced his retirement from Test cricket at the conclusion of this match and Kohli was appointed as the full-time Test captain ahead of the fourth Test at Sydney. Captaining the Test team for the second time, Kohli hits 147 runs in the first innings of the match and became the first batsman in Test cricket history to score three hundred in his first three innings as Test captain. He was dismissed for 46 in the second innings and the match ended in a draw. Kohli’s total of 692 runs in four Tests is the most by any Indian batsman in a Test series in Australia.

2015–2016: World Cups and limited-over success

In January 2015, India failed to win a single match in the tri-nation ODI series against the hosts Australia and England. Kohli was unable to replicate his Test success in ODIs, failing to make a two-digit score in any of the four games. Kohli’s ODI form did not improve in the lead-up to the World Cup, with scores of 18 and 5 in the warm-up matches against Australia and Afghanistan respectively.

Playing his first Test in the West Indies since his debut series, Kohli scored 200 in the first Test at Antigua to ensure an innings-and-92-run win for India, their biggest win ever outside of Asia. It was his first double hundred in first-class cricket and the first made away from home by an Indian captain in Tests. India went on to wrap the series 2–0 and briefly top the ICC Test Rankings before being displaced by Pakistan at the position. He scored another double hundred, 211 at Indore in the third Test against New Zealand as India’s 3–0 whitewash victory saw them regain the top position in the ICC Test Rankings.

2017–2018: Dominant batting and leadership

Kohli got double centuries in the next two Test series against England and Bangladesh, making him the first batsman ever to score double centuries in four consecutive series. He broke the record of Australian great Donald Bradman and Rahul Dravid, both of whom had managed to get three. Against England, he scored his then-highest Test score of 235.

Virat Kohli got the chance to captain an ICC tournament for the first time in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy. In the semi-final against Bangladesh, Kohli scored 96* and became the fastest batsman in terms of innings to reach 8,000 runs in ODIs in 175 innings. India reached the final but lost to Pakistan by 180 runs. In the third over of the Indian innings, Virat Kohli was dropped in the slips for just five runs but caught the next ball by Shadab Khan at a point on the bowling of Mohammad Amir. He was also named part of the ‘Team of the Tournament’ at the 2017 Champions Trophy by the ICC.

On 16 December 2018 in the 2018–2019 Border Gavaskar Trophy, Kohli scored his 25th test hundred in Perth. His knock of 123 was his 6th hundred in three tours to Australia making him the only Indian to score 6 test hundreds in Australia after Sachin Tendulkar. He also became the fastest Indian and second fastest overall (125 innings) to score 25 test hundreds, second only to Donald Bradman (68 innings); which was bettered by Steven Smith during the 2019 Ashes (119 innings). Kohli’s knock was rated by several analysts and former cricketers as one of his finest against a quality Australian attack. Although he broke several records in the game his innings proved to be insufficient as India went down by 146 runs as Australia leveled the series with two tests remaining. Overall, he finished the series with 282 runs at an average of 40. By winning the test series in Australia he had become the first Indian and also the first Asian skipper to win a test series in Australia. He was again named as captain of both the World Test XI and ODI XI for 2018 by the ICC.

2019–2020: Record-breaking captaincy and batting woes

In April 2019, he was named the captain of India’s squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup. On 16 June 2019, in India’s match against Pakistan, Kohli became the fastest batsman in terms of innings to score 11,000 runs in ODI cricket. He reached the landmark in his 222nd innings. Eleven days later in the match against the West Indies, Kohli became the fastest cricketer in terms of innings to score 20,000 runs in international cricket, doing so in his 417th innings. Kohli scored five consecutive fifty-plus scores in the tournament. Nonetheless, India lost the semi-final against New Zealand in which Kohli was out for just a run.

In November 2020, Kohli was nominated for the Sir Garfield Sobers Award for ICC Male Cricketer of the Decade as well as Test, ODI, and T20I player of the decade. He won the awards for Male cricketer of the decade and ODI cricketer of the decade.

2021–2022: Captaincy exit and resurgence

The English cricket team’s tour of India in 2020–2021 began with a long 4-match Test series. Kohli made 172 runs across 4 Test matches, at an average of 28.66 with 2 half-centuries and 2 ducks. During the second test at Chepauk, he scored 62 on a pitch which English batting great Geoffrey Boycott described as a template to bat and score runs on a turning pitch. In 2020, Kohli scored a combined (Test, ODI, and T20I) total of 842 runs from 24 innings with a highest score of 89 and an average of 36.60.

The 2021 ICC World Test Championship Final was played in June 2021, when India lost to New Zealand. This was Kohli’s third defeat as captain in a knockout game of an ICC tournament. He scored 44 and 13 in two innings before getting dismissed by Kyle Jamieson on both occasions.

Retirement from captaincy across formats

In September 2021, Kohli was named the captain of India’s squad for the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Following this, he announced that he would step down as T20I captain after T20 World Cup. India could not authorize its position in the semi-final which was the first time in 9 years.

In December 2021, Kohli was replaced by Rohit Sharma as India’s ODI captain. BCCI President Sourav Ganguly later explained the decision to drop Kohli as ODI captain by saying that the selectors did not feel right to have two white ball captains. Later Ganguly said that BCCI had told Virat to not step down as T20I captain. Virat Kohli, during a press conference, contradicted the BCCI President and said that his decision of stepping down as captain was “received well” and termed as “progressive” by the BCCI officials. He also claimed that chief selector Chetan Sharma informed him 90 minutes before the announcement of the Test squad for India’s tour of South Africa about the removal from ODI captaincy. More than a week later during the announcement of the squad for the ODI series versus South Africa, Chetan Sharma contradicted Kohli by saying that officials had asked Virat to reconsider his decision of stepping down as T20I captain.

Return to form (Virat Kohli Biography)

Virat Kohli made his return to form in Asia Cup 2022, scoring 276 runs with an average of 92, during which he scored his maiden T20I century against Afghanistan, scoring 122* off 61 balls. He later said in the post-match presentation:

“Last two and a half years have taught me a lot. I am going to turn 34 in a month. So those angry celebrations are a thing of the past . I have had many suggestions, lot of advice has come my way; people were telling me I was doing this wrong, that wrong, I picked out all the videos from the best time I had; same initial movement, same approach towards the ball and it was just what was happening inside my head I wasn’t able to explain it to anyone ”

— Virat after scoring 71st century,

He carried his good form into the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. In the first game against Pakistan, Kohli scored 82* and won the match for his team by a close margin. He rated this as his best innings in the format due to the magnitude which the game. Kohli finished as the highest run-scorer in the tournament, with 296 runs to his name at an average of 98.66. For his performances, he was included in the Team of the tournament.

Kohli was named in India’s Test and ODI squad for India’s Tour of Bangladesh in 2022-23. In the third match, he scored his 44th ODI and overall 72nd century surpassing Ricky Ponting‘s record of the second-most centuries scored across formats in international cricket.

Indian Premier League (Virat Kohli Biography)

2008–2012: Early seasons

Following the Under-19 World Cup, Kohli was bought by the franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore for $30,000 on a youth contract. He was the captain of Royal challengers Bangalore for 8 seasons but was futile in winning trophies.

Representing  RCB
Indian Premier League
Runner-up	2009
Runner-up	2011
Runner-up	2016
Champions League
Runner-up	2011

Kohli had a poor 2008 season, with a total of 165 runs in 12 innings at an average of 15.00 and a strike rate of 105.09.

In the 2012 IPL, Virat had another average season. He scored 364 runs in the 16 matches he played and averaged 28.

2013–2021: RCB captaincy

After Vettori’s retirement, Kohli was appointed as the team’s captain for the 2013 season. During the season, Kohli averaged 45.28 while scoring 634 runs at a strike rate of over 138 including six fifties, and finished as the season’s third-highest run-scorer. In a match against Delhi Daredevils, he scored 99, missing his maiden century by a run. He fought the lone battle from his side and helped his team win the match by 4 runs.

He found success with the bat in the 2015 IPL, helping his team to qualify for the playoffs. He finished fifth on the season’s leading run-getters list with 505 runs at an average of 45.90 and a strike rate of more than 130. In the 46th match of the season, he scored 82* against Mumbai Indians, during the match he had a 215 run-partnership with AB De Villiers which was the third 200 partnership in IPL.

Record breaking year

At the 2016 IPL, the Royal Challengers finished runners-up and Kohli broke the record for most runs in an IPL season, which was previously held by Chris Gayle and Mike Hussey, they both had scored 733 runs, Kohli overtook them by scoring 973 runs in 16 matches at an average of 81.08, winning the Orange Cap as well as Most-valuable Player Award of Vivo IPL 2016. He scored four centuries in the tournament, having never scored one in the Twenty20 format before the start of the season. He also became the first player to reach the 4000-run milestone in the IPL. At the launch event of his biography, Driven: The Virat Kohli Story in New Delhi, in October 2016, Kohli announced that RCB would be the IPL franchise that he would permanently play for. His 113* against Kings XI Punjab was his best knock of the season.

On 22 April 2021, against Rajasthan Royals, Kohli became the first-ever player to reach 6000 runs in IPL. On 20 September, Royal Challengers Bangalore announced that Kohli would step down as captain following the 2021 IPL season. In this season, he scored 405 runs at an average of 28.92 in 15 games. Three fifties came out of his season, with his best being 72*.

2022–present: Post captaincy

In the 2022 season, Kohli was retained by RCB for ₹150 million (US$1.9 million). He scored 341 runs in 16 innings with an average of 21.31 and a strike rate of 115. In the match against Punjab Kings at Brabourne Stadium, he completed 6500 runs in IPL. In the last league match of the tournament against Gujarat Titans, Kohli completed 7000 runs for Royal Challengers Bangalore. However, the 2022 Season proved to be one of the worst seasons for him as he ended up having 3 ducks in a single season which included 2 consecutive golden ducks.

Player profile (Virat Kohli Biography)

Playing style

Kohli is considered an aggressive batsman with strong technical skills and a dynamic playing style. He usually bats at the number 3 position in ODI cricket, with a slightly open-chested stance and a strong bottom-hand grip. He is known for his quick footwork and wide range of shots, as well as his ability to pace innings and perform well under pressure. Kohli has stated that he is not a big hitter, and tends to play more grounded shots. He is known for his wrist-shot play and strong performance in the mid-wicket and cover region. He has said that the cover drive is his favorite shot, while also saying that the flick shot comes naturally to him. He is particularly strong on leg stump line bowling and tends to play the flick shot when the ball is delivered in this area. Kohli rarely plays the sweep shot and tends to score more between deep square leg and mid-on. His bats with a still head are versatile. He can play conventional cricket, and score between long-off and long-on with a straight blade before opening out. Kohli can be is both organized and destructive. When batting, he creates angles that defeat field placements, with a combination of bat-speed and strong, flexible wrists. In addition to his batting, Kohli is also an excellent fielder, known for his quick reflexes and safe hands.

Many pundits have suggested that Kohli may be the best limited-overs batsman in the world. In ODIs, he averages around 66 in matches batting second as opposed to around 48 batting first. 26 of his 45 ODI hundreds have come in run-chases and he holds the record for most hundreds batting second. Regarding his impressive record batting second, Kohli has said “I love the whole situation that comes with chasing. I like the challenge of testing myself, figuring out how to rotate the strike, when to hit a boundary.” His teammates have praised his confidence, commitment, focus, and work ethic.

Aggression

Kohli is known for his aggressive playing style and aggressive leadership as well. This aggression is often seen in his on-field attitude, where he is known to be fiercely competitive, and his animated and passionate reactions to situations on the field. This on-field aggression has also been reflected in his captaincy where he is known to be proactive, taking bold decisions and leading the team from the front, described in the media as “brash” and “arrogant” during his early career. He has gotten into confrontations with players and umpires on several occasions. While many former cricketers have backed his aggressive attitude, some have criticized it for crossing the line of fair play or for losing his cool. In 2012, Kohli stated that he tries to limit his aggressive behavior but “the build-up pressure or the special occasions make it tough to control the aggression.” However, Kohli himself has often stated that his aggression is a positive thing and that it helps him stay focused and motivated on the field.

Comparisons to Sachin Tendulkar

Kohli is often compared to Sachin Tendulkar, due to their similar styles of batting, and is sometimes referred to as Tendulkar’s “successor”. Many former cricketers expect Kohli to break Tendulkar’s batting records. He is ranked as one of the world’s most famous athletes by ESPN. Kohli has stated that growing up his idol and role model was Tendulkar and that as a kid he “tried to copy the shots Tendulkar played and hit sixes the way he used to hit them.” Former West Indies great Vivian Richards, who is regarded as the most destructive batsman in cricket, stated that Kohli reminds him of himself. In early 2015, Richards said Kohli was “already legendary” in the ODI format, while former Australian cricketer Dean Jones called Kohli the “new king of world cricket”. Aakash Chopra, an Indian commentator, stated that “Sachin had more shots as compared to Virat”. In September 2018, West Indies legend Brian Lara, who was in New York as a part of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Trophy Tour, picked Kohli as one of the best batsmen in the world, alongside England captain Joe Root.

In popular culture

Kohli was signed up by sports agent Bunty Sajdeh of Cornerstone Sport and Entertainment after the 2008 Under-19 World Cup. Sajdeh recalls, “I didn’t go after them after they became stars. In fact, I watched Virat at the 2008 ICC Under-19 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur. I was mighty impressed with his attitude and the way he was marshaling his team. He had that spark. And I told Yuvi to set up the meeting.” Sajdeh manages Kohli’s endorsement deals, along with those of other Indian cricketers Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, and Murali Vijay. It was reported in 2013 that Kohli’s brand endorsements were worth over ₹1 billion (US$13 million). His bat deal with MRF is said to be the costliest deal in Indian cricket history.

In 2018, A documentary featuring him was released on National Geographic, It was about Kohli’s achievements in cricket. On the 11th anniversary of their international debut, Kohli was honored with a stand on his name at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium in Delhi; became the youngest cricketer to have a stand on his name. In November 2019, on the occasion of his thirty-first birthday, Super V an Indian animated superhero television series was released; portrays a fictionalized version of Kohli’s teen years where he discovers hidden superpowers.

Outside cricket (Virat Kohli Biography)

Personal life

Kohli started dating Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma in 2013; the couple soon earned the portmanteau “Virushka”. Their relationship attracted substantial media attention, with persistent rumors and speculations in the media, as neither of the two publicly talked about it. The couple married on 11 December 2017 in a private ceremony in Florence, Italy. On 11 January 2021, their first child, a girl, was born.

In 2018, Kohli revealed that he completely stopped consuming meat to cut down his uric acid levels which caused him a cervical spine issue and started affecting his finger and, in turn, his batting. In 2021, he clarified that he is a vegetarian and not a vegan.

Kohli has admitted that he is superstitious. He used to wear black wristbands as a cricket superstition; earlier, he used to wear the same pair of gloves with which he had “been scoring”. Apart from a religious black thread, he has also been wearing a kara on his right arm since 2012.

Kohli has a lot of tattoos on his body, he has tattoos of the God Shiva in dhyan mudra on Kailash parvat because he worships Lord Shiva, Om, his parent’s names (Prem and Saroj), an Aadivasi sign, a monastery, Samurai warrior, the word ‘Scorpion’, and his ODI and Test cap numbers on his body.

Commercial investments (Virat Kohli Biography)

In 2014, Kohli became a co-owner of the Indian Super League club FC Goa. He stated that he invested in the club because he “wanted football to grow in India”. He added, “It’s a business venture for me for the future. Cricket’s not going to last forever and I’m keeping all my options open after retirement.”

In 2022, Kohli along with his wife invested ₹2.5 crores (US$310,000) in an insurance-based startup named ‘Digit’. He also invested in Blue Tribe, a startup in plant-based meat products; that aims to manufacture and distribute delicacies like frozen minced chicken and more. Kohli himself claims to follow a plant-based diet and now wishes to tell people how they can be more conscious and leave less impact on the planet.

Philanthropy (Virat Kohli Biography)

He started a charitable foundation called “Virat Kohli Foundation” in 2013. The organization aims at helping underprivileged kids and conducts events to raise funds for charity. According to Kohli, the foundation works with select NGOs to “create awareness, seek support and raise funds for the various causes they endorse and the philanthropic work they engage in.” In May 2014, eBay and Save the Children India conducted a charity auction with VKF, with its proceeds benefiting the education and healthcare of underprivileged children. Kohli also envisions creating a better sports-facilitated future for children. He is committed to building youth-focused programs for children and providing them with resources, using his partnerships to support the exposed section of our society.

In the wake of the coronavirus in 2020, Kohli along with his wife Anushka pledged to donate to PM Relief fun and Maharashtra CM Relief. He along with his wife Anushka Sharma is passionate about animals and they have made their own personal contributions to wildlife relief efforts. With his support to Awaaz, he wishes to have well-planned medical services, shelter, and food for the strays.

Career summary (Virat Kohli Biography)

As of January 2023, Kohli has made 74 centuries and 7 double centuries in international cricket—27 centuries, 7 double centuries in Test cricket, 46 centuries in One Day Internationals (ODIs), and 1 century in T20I.

Test match performance

ODI match performance (Virat Kohli Biography)

T20I match performance (Virat Kohli Biography)

Kohli is the only player to have been awarded Player of the Tournament of T20 World Cup twice (in 2014 and 2016). He has 2nd most centuries in ODI (45) and is only behind Sachin Tendulkar who has 49 centuries. Furthermore, he has 2nd most centuries(73) in international cricket and is only behind Sachin Tendulkar(100) In 2018, he scored 1000 ODI runs in 11 innings which is the least number of innings taken to score 1000 runs in a calendar year. In 2022, he completed 1000 runs in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and became just the second player to achieve this milestone after Mahela Jayawardene.

Test records (Virat Kohli Biography)

• Most Wins as captain of India, with 40 wins out of 68 matches.
• Four Test double-hundreds in four consecutive series.

ODI records

• Most ODI centuries while chasing (26).
• Most ODI centuries at home (21).
• Fastest to – 8,000 runs(175 innings) 9,000 runs(194 innings) 10,000 runs(205 innings) 11,000 runs(222 innings) 12,000 runs(242 innings).

T20I records (Virat Kohli Biography)

• Most runs in T20 internationals – 4,008 runs.
• Most Fifty plus scores in the career – 38 (including 37 fifties and 1 century).
• Highest career batting average in T20I – 52.73.
• Fastest to – 3,000 runs(81 innings) 3,500 runs(96 innings).
• Most players of the match(15 times) and player of the series awards(7 times).

IPL records

• Most runs in Indian Premiere League – 6,624 runs.
• Most runs in a single edition of IPL – 973 runs (2016).
• The only player to be involved in three double-century-plus stands, two times with AB de Villiers and once with Chris Gayle.
• Fastest to – 5,000 runs(165 innings) 6,000 runs (188 innings)
• Most runs against Delhi Capitals(925).
• Most hundreds in a season (4).

Honors (Virat Kohli Biography)

National honors

• 2013 – Arjuna Award
• 2017 –  Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award.
• 2018 – Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, India’s highest sporting honor.

Sporting honors

• Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy (ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Decade): 2011–2020
• Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy (ICC Cricketer of the Year): 2017, 2018
• ICC ODI Player of the Year: 2012, 2017, 2018
• ICC Test Player of the Year: 2018
• ICC ODI Team of the Year: 2012, 2014, 2016 (captain), 2017 (captain), 2018 (captain), 2019 (Captain)
• ICC Test Team of the Year: 2017 (captain), 2018 (captain), 2019 (Captain)
• ICC Spirit of Cricket: 2019
• ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Decade: 2011–2020
• ICC Men’s Test Team of the Decade: 2011–2020 (Captain)
• ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Decade: 2011–2020
• ICC Men’s T20I Team of the Decade: 2011–2020
• Polly Umrigar Award for International Cricketer of the Year: 2011–12, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
• Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World: 2016, 2017, 2018
• ICC Men’s Player of the Month: October 2022
• CEAT International Cricketer of the Year: 2011–12, 2013–14, 2018–19
• Indian Premier League Orange Cap for most runs: 2016
• Barmy Army – International Player of the Year: 2017, 2018
• ESPNcricinfo – ODI Batting Performance of the Year: 2012

Other honors and awards (Virat Kohli Biography)

• People’s Choice Awards India For Favourite Sportsperson: 2012
• CNN-News18 Indian of the Year: 2017
• Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) renamed a stand after Kohli at Arun Jaitley stadium, Delhi.

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