Does Virat Kohli really need an introduction? One of the most consistent performers in world cricket today, Virat is currently captain of the Indian National Cricket Team as well.
Through his passion for cricket, flamboyance, style, as well as social initiatives, Virat Kohli has always stayed in the limelight.
Virat Kohli Biography
Source: India TV
About Athlete | |
Full Name | Virat Kohli |
Age | 30 years |
Sport Category | Cricket |
Date of Birth | November 5, 1988 |
Hometown | Delhi, India |
Height | 175 cm |
Ranking | No. 1 in Test & ODI |
Spouse | Anushka Sharma |
Parent | Prem and Saroj Kohli |
ODI Debut | 18 August 2008 |
Test Debut | 20 June 2011 vs. West Indies |
Virat Kohli – Family Background
Source: India Today
Virat was born in a Punjabi family based in Delhi. His father, Prem Kohli, was a criminal lawyer and his mother Saroj, is a homemaker. Virat has two older siblings, a brother – Vikash and a sister – Bhavna.
When he was hardly three years old, Virat started showing signs of a cricketing career. His father was the one to notice and encourage this talent. He took Kohli to West Delhi Cricket Academy when he was just nine. Rajkumar Sharma was his first coach there and knew right from the beginning that this lad was meant for greatness.
Along with cricket, Virat Kohli was an excellent student in academics as well. His father gave him unconditional support to chase his dreams. Unfortunately, his father couldn’t witness his legendary achievements. When Kohli was just 19, his father passed away due to a stroke. Even then, Kohli showed up in the field the very next day and played a crucial knock for his team in the ongoing Ranji tournament.
“I still remember the night my father passed away as it was the hardest time in my life. But the call to play the morning after my father’s death came instinctively to me. I called my (Delhi) coach in the morning. I said I wanted to play because for me not completing a cricket game is a sin. That was a moment that changed me as a person. The importance this sport holds in my life is very, very high,” Kohli told NDTV.
The Inspiration
The legend himself, Sir Vivian Richards said that Kohli reminds of himself. Virat Kohli has always considered Sachin Tendulkar his inspiration. He says on his website www.viratkohli.club, “He’s (Tendulkar) been my inspiration. After seeing his knocks in Sharjah, I really got inspired to do something like that for India, win games single-handedly. I used to dream of doing something like that for the country, the way he used to win us games,” he said.
“I wouldn’t sit and think that I’ve done something similar because at that time I don’t think anyone else in the team scored apart from him in those two games. Now, there are others like Shikhar (Dhawan) and Rohit (Sharma).”
Also Read: Inspiring Workout Routine of Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli Personal Life
Virat started dating Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma in 2013. The couple met while shooting an advertisement for a shampoo brand, which both of them were endorsing. Their relationship garnered a lot of media attention. The couple got married at a dreamy locale in Florence, Italy.
Can't believe it's been a year already because it feels like it happened just yesterday. Time has truly flown by. Happy anniversary to my best friend and my soulmate. Mine forever ❤ @AnushkaSharma pic.twitter.com/eKL9wlpU4R
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) December 11, 2018
The Journey
Source: The Statesman
Kohli started playing for the Delhi Under-15 team in 2002. He had a very successful domestic career. He captained the Polly Umrigar Trophy team in 2003-04. He was also a part of the Delhi Under-17 team for the Vijay Merchant Trophy. The year 2006 marked Kohli’s entry into the India Under-19 squad. He impressed one and all in his first tour itself. Unsurprisingly, he captained the team towards victory at the 2008 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
Kohli became a part of the Indian squad in 2008 for a tour of Sri Lanka. He made his ODI debut at the age of 19. Slowly and steadily, Kohli won a permanent place on the team. His consistently excellent performances ensured that he rose through ranks. He saved the day for the team in many instances and was the leading run-scorer as well. His form peaked right before the 2011 World Cup and was a crucial member of the team for the tournament. His partnership with Gambhir in the finals propelled India to a World Cup win and won him a place in the hearts of all fans.
Virat’s growth as a leader started in 2012 when he was named the Vice-Captain for the Asia Cup. He stood in as a captain, when MS Dhoni was injured. His successful stints as a captain ensured that he succeeded MS Dhoni as a captain in all formats of the game.
Known as an aggressive batsman, Kohli has always focused on his technique. This factor has played a key role in his unwavering consistency.
Indian Premier League
Virat Kohli has been a part of the team Royal Challengers Bangalore right from the first edition of the league. Kohli was signed on for $30,000. He became the captain of the team in 2013. One of the best teams in the league, flaunting big names like Gayle, AB de Villiers, and of course Kohli, the team hasn’t found the success it deserves. However, it has consistently remained one of the most popular teams in the league.
Interesting Facts about Virat Kohli
- Virat Kohli’s favourite adventure sport is rafting.
- He is a huge foodie and loves to experiment with different cuisines. His all-time favourite dish is sushi.
- Virat follows tennis and football diligently. He is a big fan of Roger Federer.
- His favourite actor is Aamir Khan.
- Virat is known as the most stylish batsman in the team. This factor has catapulted his fame, especially among youngsters.
- Virat’s tattoos have become quite popular as well. He has a Scorpio zodiac tattoo on his upper right arm. He also has a Japanese Samurai warrior with a raised sword.
- Virat Kohli is a little superstitious. He has been wearing a kadah (bracelet) since 2012 for good luck.
- Through his charity, Virat Kohli Foundation, he supports education and healthcare of underprivileged children.
Virat Kohli Net Worth
Virat Kohli’s image as a stylish young icon has landed him several endorsements. Bunty Sachdev of Cornerstone Sport and Entertainment manages Kohli’s deals. Kohli’s brand endorsements crossed the ₹100 crore mark in 2013 itself. Some of these prominent brands are MRF, Puma, Audi, Manyavar, etc.
10 years with the mad one! 😆🤗👊 @buntysajdeh pic.twitter.com/ZoWxuIERRm
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) December 24, 2018
Kohli was placed on number 7 in Forbes Most Valuable Brand list for athletes in 2017. His value was around $14.5 million. He also featured in the Top 100 highest paid athletes in the world list in 2018.
Virat Kohli is a co-owner of the club FC Goa in the Indian Super League. He has also invested in ventures like International Premier Tennis League franchise UAE Royals and Bengaluru Yodhas franchise in Pro Wrestling. In 2014, Kohli co-launched a fashion clothing brand WROGN with Anjana Reddy’s Universal Sportsbiz. He has also invested in and started numerous fitness ventures.
Virat Kohli Awards
- Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy (ICC Cricketer of the Year): 2017
- ICC ODI Player of the Year: 2012, 2017
- ICC ODI Team of the Year: 2012, 2014, 2016 (captain), 2017 (captain)
- ICC Test Team of the Year: 2017 (captain)
- Padma Shri: 2017
- Arjuna Award: 2013
- Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna: 2018
Congratulations @imVkohli for Khel Ratna award… 🇮🇳🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/d81X64MYqk
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) September 26, 2018
Virat Kohli Records
Fastest century
- Fastest century by an Indian cricketer in ODIs (52 balls)
Milestones
- Fastest Indian to reach 1000, 5000, 6000, 7000, 8000, 9000, and 10,000 runs in ODIs
- Fastest Indian and second fastest in the world to reach 10, 15, 20, and 25 centuries in ODIs
- Fastest in the world to reach 30 and 35 centuries in ODIs
- Second fastest in the world to reach 1,000 runs in T20Is
- Fastest in the world to reach 15,000 international runs
- The only batsman in history to average more than 50 in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is simultaneously
- Fastest batsman to score 17,000 runs in international cricket (363 innings)
- First Indian cricketer to score three successive centuries in ODIs
Most runs in a calendar year/series
- Most ODI runs in a calendar year by an Indian cricketer – 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
- Most combined international runs scored in a year by an Indian cricketer – 2818 international runs in 2017
- Most Test runs in 2018 by any cricketer
- Most ODI runs in 2018 by any cricketer
Virat Kohli Performance Insights
Batting and fielding averages
| Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100 | 50 | 4s | 6s | Ct | St | |
| Tests | 74 | 126 | 8 | 6368 | 243 | 53.96 | 10985 | 57.96 | 24 | 19 | 703 | 18 | 68 | 0 |
| ODIs | 216 | 208 | 37 | 10232 | 183 | 59.83 | 11016 | 92.88 | 38 | 48 | 962 | 111 | 103 | 0 |
| T20Is | 65 | 60 | 16 | 2167 | 90* | 49.25 | 1592 | 136.11 | 0 | 19 | 218 | 48 | 33 | 0 |
| First-class | 106 | 174 | 15 | 8617 | 243 | 54.19 | 14888 | 57.87 | 31 | 27 | 1016 | 33 | 99 | 0 |
| List A | 250 | 241 | 40 | 11674 | 183 | 58.07 | 12552 | 93.00 | 42 | 56 | 1126 | 135 | 121 | 0 |
| T20s | 250 | 236 | 45 | 7809 | 113 | 40.88 | 5857 | 133.32 | 4 | 57 | 722 | 245 | 115 | 0 |
Bowling averages
| Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10 | |
| Tests | 74 | 9 | 163 | 76 | 0 | – | – | – | 2.79 | – | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ODIs | 216 | 48 | 641 | 665 | 4 | 1/15 | 1/15 | 166.25 | 6.22 | 160.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T20Is | 65 | 12 | 146 | 198 | 4 | 1/13 | 1/13 | 49.50 | 8.13 | 36.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| First-class | 106 | 23 | 631 | 330 | 3 | 1/19 | 2/42 | 110.00 | 3.13 | 210.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| List A | 250 | 55 | 705 | 726 | 4 | 1/15 | 1/15 | 181.50 | 6.17 | 176.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T20s | 250 | 44 | 454 | 661 | 8 | 2/25 | 2/25 | 82.62 | 8.73 | 56.7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: www.espncricinfo.com
Social Media
With focus and hard work, anything is possible. Keep working, keep believing. Have a super day everyone. 💪🏃♂️🏃♂️ pic.twitter.com/x3a0ODbpeW
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) October 15, 2018
Throwback to fond memories with @bhawnadhingra2 Didi 😊
Wishing a very Happy #Rakhi to all the sisters around the world. #Rakhshabandhan pic.twitter.com/ZaBwuqaDNu— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) August 26, 2018
Such a great feeling to have played with such talented team mates and win the series in a great style. Time to celebrate now! 😀#EngvInd #Champions 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/nfDL7qiPkj
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) July 8, 2018
Such a great feeling to have played with such talented team mates and win the series in a great style. Time to celebrate now! 😀#EngvInd #Champions 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/nfDL7qiPkj
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) July 8, 2018
There are many more records or to be broken and many more to be set! Virat Kohli has been on a roll for years now and there is no stopping him. Let us hope that he continues leading the team to greater glories. One thing is for sure, his name will be featured in the books of cricketing history as one of the best batsmen of our times.
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