International Career
From the narrow lanes of Delhi to the expansive fields of international cricket, Virat Kohli's story is one of determination, resilience, and an undefeated mentality. Born on November 5, 1988, in Delhi, India, he is the most celebrated Indian cricketer of the modern era and former captain of the Indian national team. Kohli is widely regarded as the ‘best in the business’ in modern cricket, especially when the question comes to the white ball. Known for his aggressive batting style, consistency, and leadership, he has achieved numerous records in all formats of the game. His career includes unbelievable records in ODIs, Tests, and T20Is, making him one of the most successful players in cricket history. His contributions to Indian cricket have earned him global recognition and numerous awards.
Now, let’s explore some of the key international moments that have defined his illustrious career. From match-winning knocks to memorable milestones, these moments showcase his exceptional skills, leadership, and fairytale journey, making him one of the most influential figures in the world of cricket.
- August 18, 2008:In the India tour of Sri Lanka, Virat debuted in the ODI format at Dambulla. Coming as an opener, he failed to resist his nerves and was trapped by Lankan bowler Nuwan Kulasekara when he was batting at 12. Sri Lanka won the match, and young Kohli was starving to prove his potential at ‘Men in Blue.’
- December 24, 2009:He has smashed 50 hundred to date in the ODI format, which makes him the finest ODI batter of modern cricket. But in the 4th ODI of Sri Lanka's tour of India at Eden Gardens, he scored his maiden ODI century against Sri Lanka. He scored 107 runs in 114 balls, consisting of 11 fours and 1 six. Depending upon the great partnership between him and Gautam Gambhir, India won by 7 wickets.
- June 12, 2010:In the India tour of Zimbabwe, he debuted in the 1st T20I at Harare. While chasing the small target of 111, the Indian batting top order collapsed at first, but then he came out to bat and assured the victory with his unbeaten 26 runs knock, consisting of 3 fours and 1 six. Although it was a tiny knock, his undefeated mentality impressed the fans and the management.
- June 20 - 23, 2011:In the 1st test of India's tour of the West Indies at Kingston, Kohli debuted in the Indian test jersey. In his debut test, he failed to poetry his capabilities and fell short of expectations in both the innings. He managed to score only 4 and 15 respectively.
Domestic Career
Kohli’s domestic career has been a roller-coaster ride with a lot of ups and downs, but he has always stood strong against all the odds. He made his List A debut on February 18, 2006, playing for Delhi against the Services team at Delhi in the Ranji Trophy. His debut match was not a mentionable one, but during the 2008 Vijay Hazare Trophy, Kohli smashed his best batting score of 172 runs against Jharkhand, and this caught the eyes of the national selectors at that time. He has played 331 matches, scoring a humongous total of 15,405 runs with a strike rate of 93.56 in his List A career.
In First-Class cricket, Kohli debuted at the age of 18 in a match between Delhi and Tamil Nadu from 23-26 November 2006, but he could score only 10 runs off 25 balls with a strike rate of 40.00 in the 1st innings of that match. A major highlight of his domestic career is when he played a match against Karnataka on the day after his father’s death and amassed 90 runs in that match, showcasing his mental strength and determination towards the sport. He has accumulated 11,485 runs, featuring in 156 matches with a strike rate of 55.95 in his First-Class cricket career.
Records and Achievements
Believed to be the greatest cricketer of all time in today's world, Virat Kohli has upscaled his worth with all the achievements and milestones that he has conquered, beating the bars set by some great legends. He has won numerous awards and has set new records with his phenomenal batting abilities. Let’s climb up his huge awards and records lists:-
Awards:
Kohli has won some of the most honourable national and International awards, which is not a cup of tea for everyone. Some of his awards and accolades are mentioned below:
- For his excellent performances, he was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2013.
- India’s highest sporting honour, the Khel Ratna Award, was presented to him in 2018.
- He received the Padma Shri Award in 2017.
- He was conferred the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy twice for being the ICC Cricketer of the Year in 2017 and 2018.
- He was the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Decade from 2011-2020.
- He was named Wisden’s Leading Cricketer in the World in 2016, 2017, and 2018.
- He was awarded the ICC Spirit of Cricket award in 2019.
Records:
When it comes to weaving enchantment with a bat in hand, people recall Virat Kohli, as he is one of the most calculatingly aggressive batsmen on the field, which is the reason for his never-ending record list that enthusiasts should go through.
- He has scored the most double-hundreds in Test matches by an Indian player (7).
- He holds the record with the most Centuries (80 centuries) among the active players.
- He is the only Indian cricketer who held the number-one rank in ICC batsmen rankings in all three formats.
- He is the first batsman to achieve 20,000 runs in a decade.
- He has smashed the most ODI centuries (50).
- He has scored the most fifties in T20Is (39).
- He scored the most runs in a series in ODI (765).
Personal Life
‘The GOAT,’ Virat Kohli, was born into a Punjabi family on November 5, 1988, in Delhi, India, renowned for his lion-like attitude on the field and his unmatchable expertise in cricket, he is the finest batsman across the world as his achievements and milestones scream. He, in his early life, went to Vishal Bharti School till 8th standard and then transferred to Saviour Convent School in Paschim Vihar, Delhi, where he completed his schooling years. His father was his greatest admirer, and he managed to admit him to the West Delhi Cricket Academy (WDCA) on 30 May 1998 under coach Rajkumar Sharma, who played an essential role in carving his early career.
Family Life
Virat comes from a Punjabi family but was born and brought up in Delhi, which, obviously, has an essential role in his character development. Prem Nath Kohli, his late loved father, was a criminal lawyer, and he tragically passed away due to a cerebral attack on December 28, 2006. His mother, Saroj Kohli, is a housewife, and she was his whole support system in his hard times, being the closest to him. Kohli was partnered and cared for by his elder brother, Vikas Kohli, and elder sister, Bhawna Kohli.
The couple ‘Virushka’ was in the headlines in 2013 when Kohli was spotted with Anushka Sharma, the Bollywood actress, at events and occasions. The star couple tied the knot on December 11, 2017, in a private ceremony in Florence, Italy. They had their first child on 11 January 2021, a daughter whose name is Vamika, and they had their second child, a son, on 15 February 2024, and he was named Akaay.
Financial Standing
Virat Kohli is a brand of his own; he is one of the highest cricketers in the world and amongst the top 5 richest cricketers in the world, and he has the highest brand value in India. His scope of income is nearly infinite, he earns almost INR 7 crore from his central contract with BCCI, earns match fees from all the matches, and has already earned over INR 200 crore from his IPL salaries, endorsements, investments, business ventures, etc.
His net worth is beyond imagination, with a whopping amount of USD 127 million or INR 1,050 crores, which includes his earnings from his restaurant chains, sports investments, fashion stores, and more. Various brands are behind him for his face and brand value all over the world; he is in association with some leading brands like Audi, Tissot, Puma, Myntra, MRF, Manyavar, Noise, Blue Tribe, HSBC, Amaze India, and many more.
Cars and Houses
Not much is to be exaggerated about Kohli’s love for cars, his top-end luxurious and sports car collection consists of some of these beasts: the Lamborghini Huracan V10 (which costs INR 3.22 crore), Bentley Continental GT (worth INR 4.04 crore), the Bentley Flying Spur (worth INR 3.8 crore), a Porsche 911 (costs around 3.5 crore), an Audi R8 V10 plus (worth 2.72 crore), an Audi R8 LMX (worth almost INR 3 crore) and a Range Rover Vogue (worth INR 2.11 crore).
Virat owns several houses with his wife, Anushka Sharma, in different cities in India, the most expensive Bungalow in DLF Phase 1, Gurugram, is worth INR 80 crores with all the amenities that he enjoys and likes. He also owns a 7000 sq.ft. Apartment in Omkar 1973 Towers in Worli, Mumbai, that is worth around INR 34 crores. His holiday farmhouse in Alibaug, Maharashtra, is a 10000 square feet luxurious villa that was designed by SAOTA Company and is worth INR 32 crores (the land cost INR 19 crore in 2022, and the villa is worth INR 13 crores).
Scandals
Being one of the most decorated players in the world, Kohli has never been indulged in any sort of scandal but was part of some major controversies that went viral everywhere. Here are some incidents that led to controversies:
- Shoulder charge incident:In December 2024, during the Boxing Day Test match against Australia, Sam Konstas was aggressively shoulder charged by Kohli, which was criticized by many as Konstas was just a 19-year-old boy, and following this controversy, he was fined 20% of his match fees and was imposed a demerit point for this act.
- Abusing a journalist:In 2015, during a practice session, he verbally abused a journalist, which was not entertained by any, and he faced immense backlash for his behaviour, but eventually, he apologized for his mistake later.
Fan Following
Virat Kohli is an obsession for every cricket enthusiast alive on this planet; he is a personality who has the most die-hard cult fans across India who would go through anything just to have a glimpse of him. He has earned this love from his style of living and, not surprisingly, his cricket. ‘King Kohli’ is the most followed Asian on Instagram with 269 million followers, he has a fan base of over 50 million on Facebook and is tracked by 66 million people around the world on X (Twitter).
