Virat Kohli Biography

Virat Kohli, the former Captain of the Indian cricket team, is renowned as one of the finest right-hand batsmen globally. Born on November 5, 1988, in Delhi, India, he is affectionately known as Cheeku. In 2016, ESPN recognized him as one of the most prominent athletes worldwide, while Forbes acknowledged him as one of the most valuable athlete brands. Time magazine also honored him in 2018 by including him in their prestigious list of the 100 most influential individuals in the world. According to Forbes, in 2020, Kohli earned an estimated salary of approximately $26 million, securing the 66th position among the top 100 athletes globally. With projected revenues of 165 crore (US$21 million) in 2022, Kohli has established himself as one of cricket’s most financially successful players.

Early life and Family

Virat Kohli, one of the most renowned cricketers globally, was born on November 5, 1988, in Delhi, India. He grew up in Uttam Nagar, West Delhi. His father, Prem Kohli, worked as a criminal lawyer, and his mother, Saroj Kohli, is a homemaker. Virat Kohli has two elder siblings: an older brother named Vikas and an older sister named Bhavna.

Kohli’s family has been supportive of his cricketing aspirations from the beginning. His father, in particular, played a significant role in fostering Virat’s interest in cricket and supporting his journey in the sport. Kohli has often spoken about the influence of his family on his career and the importance of their support throughout his life.

While Kohli’s family was not financially affluent, they provided him with the encouragement and resources necessary to pursue his passion for cricket. Kohli’s dedication and talent were evident from a young age, and with the backing of his family, he began his journey towards becoming one of the greatest cricketers of his generation.

Career

Virat Kohli’s cricketing career can be described as nothing short of exceptional. Here’s a detailed overview of his career:

• Early Career and Domestic Cricket: Kohli’s talent was recognized early, and he rose through the ranks of Delhi’s age-group cricket system. He captained the victorious Indian team at the 2008 Under-19 World Cup, showcasing his leadership skills and batting prowess.
• International Debut: Virat Kohli made his international debut for India in an ODI match against Sri Lanka in August 2008. He made an immediate impact, showing glimpses of his potential as a future star.
• ODI Success: Kohli’s ODI career quickly flourished. He became known for his consistency, ability to chase down targets, and adaptability to different conditions. He has amassed numerous records in ODI cricket, including the fastest century by an Indian batsman, among others.
• Test Cricket: Kohli’s Test career also took off, although he faced initial challenges in adapting his aggressive batting style to the demands of the longer format. However, he soon overcame those hurdles and established himself as one of the premier Test batsmen in the world.
• T20 Internationals: Kohli’s T20 International career has been marked by some stellar performances, although his focus has predominantly been on ODIs and Tests. He has been a key member of the Indian team in T20 cricket, contributing with both bat and occasional captaincy duties.
• Captaincy: Kohli was appointed as the captain of the Indian cricket team in various formats, starting with the limited-overs formats and eventually becoming the captain across all formats. Under his leadership, India achieved significant successes, including historic Test series wins in Australia and numerous bilateral ODI series victories.
• Indian Premier League (IPL): In the IPL, Kohli has been associated with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) franchise since the inception of the league. He has been a prolific run-scorer and has led the team as captain, although an IPL title has eluded him so far.
• Awards and Recognitions: Throughout his career, Kohli has received numerous awards and accolades, including the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year and ICC ODI Player of the Year multiple times. He has also been named in various ICC and cricketing boards’ teams of the year.
• Off-field Impact: Kohli’s impact extends beyond the cricket field. He is known for his fitness regimen and has inspired many with his dedication to health and fitness. He is also actively involved in philanthropy and various social causes.

Overall, Virat Kohli’s career stands as a testament to his talent, hard work, and relentless pursuit of excellence in the sport of cricket.

Kohli’s Performances as a Captain

• Test: Kohli captained 68 test matches in which he won 40 matches and lost 17 matches. Eleven matches were drawn.
• ODI: Kohli captained 95 ODI matches in which he won 65 matches and lost 27 matches. One match was tied, and there was no result in the 3 matches.
• T20I: Kohli captained 50 twenty20 matches in which he won 30 matches and lost 16 matches. 2 matches were tied, and there was no result in 2 matches.

In the 2016 ICC World, T20 Kohli scored 273 runs in 5 matches. However, in the semi-final, despite his top-scored 89 from 47 balls, India lost the match to the west indies and India’s campaign was ended. But Kohli got the awards of the man of the tournament as well as the Captain of the ‘team of the tournament’ by ICC.

In October 2017, Kohli made new records for the highest number of 8888 runs with 31 centuries in 200 ODI matches. The ICC appointed Kohli as Captain of their world test XI and ODI XI for 2017. In 2018 in the series against West Indies, Kohli completed his 10000 ODI runs in 205 matches. He was the fastest and 12th batsman to make such records. He made that record in 205 matches which was 54 matches less than the next fastest Sachin Tendulkar. In the same year (2018,) of his captaincy, Kohli won the test series in Australia and became the first Indian as well as the first Asian Captain to win the test series in Australia. And again, he was appointed the Captain of the World Test XI and ODI XI by ICC.

Kohli captained the Indian team in the 2019 cricket World Cup. In June 2019, in a match against West Indies, he completed 20000 runs in 417 international matches, which was the fastest by any batsman.

At the start of 2020, India toured New Zealand, but on that tour, Kohli struggled with his performances, and that tour was disastrous under Kohli’s captaincy. India lost all its matches.

In India’s tour to Australia during 2020-2021, India lost the ODI series but won the T20I series in which Kohli was the highest scorer. In the test series, after the first test, Kohli took paternity leave as he was expecting his first child and left the series in between. For this decision, he was criticized by Gavaskar and Kapil Dev. But in spite of his absence in the captaincy of Ajinky Rahane, India won the series.

After that, in June 2021, under Kohli’s captaincy, India lost the 2021 ICC world test championship final to New Zealand. In September, he was announced as a captain for the 2021 ICC men’s t20 World Cup. But later, Kohli was announced for quitting India’s captaincy.

Retirement from Captaincy

Virat Kohli was appointed as the captain of the Indian team for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in September 2021. However, Kohli made a public statement announcing his decision to step down as the T20I captain after the tournament. India failed to progress to the later stages of the competition for the first time in nine years as they were unable to reach the semifinals. In December 2021, Rohit Sharma took over as the ODI captain of India following Virat Kohli’s departure. BCCI President Sourav Ganguly disclosed that Kohli’s removal from the ODI captaincy was a result of the selectors’ decision to have a single leader for the white-ball format. Despite this, Ganguly mentioned that Kohli was requested to continue leading the T20I team. During a press conference, Kohli contradicted the BCCI President’s statement, asserting that the board officials had supported his decision to step down as captain. Allegedly, chief selector Chetan Sharma informed Kohli of his removal from the ODI captaincy just 90 minutes before the announcement of the Test squad for India’s tour of South Africa. When the squad for the ODI series against South Africa was unveiled over a week later, Sharma denied Kohli’s claims and stated that the board had encouraged him to reconsider his resignation as the T20I captain.

Overall Career Summary

• Test Match: Overall, as of May 2023, Kohli has played 110 test matches. Total runs are 8555, of which there are 28 centuries and 29. His highest score in the test match is 254.
• One-Day Matches (ODI): Kohli has played 274 one-day matches. Total runs are 12898, with 46 centuries and 65. His highest score in one-matches is 183.
• Twenty20: Kohli has played 115T20I matches. Total runs are 4008, with 1 century and 37 The highest score in t20 is 122.
• IPL Matches: Kohli played 227 IPL matches in which he scored 6844 runs with 5 centuries and 47.

Achievements

Kohli holds the record for being the highest scorer in T20I and has been honored twice as the player of the tournament in the Twenty20 World Cup. During the Twenty20 World Cup in 2014, he achieved an impressive score of 319 runs with 4 fifties. In terms of centuries, Kohli ranks second in ODIs after Sachin Tendulkar, who has 49 centuries. Kohli himself has scored 43 centuries in ODIs. When considering his overall centuries in international cricket, he has a total of 70 centuries, placing him behind Tendulkar (100) and Ricky Ponting (71). Kohli’s achievements also include scoring 1000 runs in ODI matches in just 11 games, making him the fastest player to reach this milestone. Additionally, he holds the record for being the fastest player to score 10 thousand runs.

Awards

National Awards: Kohli received three national awards;

1. In 2013, he was honored with Arjuna Award,
2. In 2017, he was honored with the Padma Shri award ( fourth highest civilian award in India)
3. In 2018, he was honored with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award (the highest sporting honor in India).

Sporting awards: Kohli received several sporting awards. Some of the award list is below.

Apart from the above awards, Kohli also got other awards in 2012, he was awarded the People’s choice awards India for his favorite sportsperson, and in 2017 got an honor from CNN-News 18 for Indian of the Year.

Kohli’s Love Life and Marriage

Kohli openly acknowledges his relationship with his girlfriend, Anushka Sharma, a Bollywood actress. They began dating in 2013 and soon decided to live together. Their fans affectionately refer to them as ‘Virushka’. The couple got married on January 11, 2017, in Florence, Italy. On the same date this year, they welcomed a baby girl into the world and named her ‘Vamika’.

Kohli’s Social Welfare and Charity

Kohli, known for his talent and popularity, is not only a skilled individual but also a compassionate and charitable person. He established the Virat Kohli Foundation (VKF) to assist underprivileged children. The foundation collaborates with various NGOs to advocate for the support of disadvantaged children. Celebrities often host diverse events to raise funds for their charity foundations. Kohli and Abhishek Bachchan recently co-organized a football match between their respective clubs, All Heart Football Club (owned by VKF) and All Stars Football Club (owned by Abhishek Bachchan). Kohli led his team during the match, and the proceeds from the event were allocated to both charity foundations.

Conclusion

Virat Kohli is an Indian cricketer with tremendous success and popularity. He has been one of cricket’s most well-known and significant figures. The Indian cricket team has been led by Kohli, who has helped the squad to several triumphs and remarkable successes, including significant tournament victories.

Virat Kohli has received a great deal of recognition for his record-breaking career. He has a reputation for having outstanding batting prowess, an aggressive playing style, and a knack for consistently scoring runs in all game formats. The ICC Cricketer of the Year title was one of several significant honors and accolades that Kohli has received.

Virat Kohli is renowned for his charitable work, contributions to several social causes, and cricketing accomplishments. He has contributed significantly to encouraging fitness, helping poor kids, and spreading awareness of many concerns.