STATS

He has received many accolades for his performances in cricket. He was recognized as the ICC ODI Player of the Year in 2012 and has won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, given to the ICC Cricketer of the Year, on two occasions, in 2017 and 2018 respectively. Subsequently, Kohli also won ICC Test Player of the Year and ICC ODI Player of the Year awards in 2018, becoming the first player to win both awards in the same year. Also, he was named the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World for three consecutive years, from 2016 to 2018. At the national level, Kohli was honoured with the Arjuna Award in 2013, the Padma Shri under the sports category in 2017 and the Khel Ratna award.

EARLY LIFE

Virat Kohli was born on 5 November 1988 in Delhi into a Punjabi Hindu family. His father, Prem Kohli, worked as a criminal lawyer and his mother, Saroj Kohli, served as a housewife. He has an older brother, Vikas, and an older sister, Bhawna.[6] Kohli's formative years were spent in Uttam Nagar. He commenced his early education at Vishal Bharti Public School.[7] According to his family, Kohli exhibited an early affinity for cricket as a mere three-year-old. He would pick up a cricket bat, display natural skill, and request his father to bowl to him.[8] In 1998, the West Delhi Cricket Academy (WCDA) was created. On 30 May of that year, Prem Kohli, who'd espoused his younger son's fervour for cricket, assisted nine-year-old Kohli's aspirations and arranged for him to meet Rajkumar Sharma, who initially perceived him to be just another enthusiastic and determined young boy. However, two weeks later, Sharma was impressed by Kohli's accuracy and power in throwing.[9] Upon the suggestion of their neighbours, Kohli's father considered enrolling his son in a professional cricket academy, as they believed that his cricketing abilities merited more than just playing in gully cricket.[10] Despite his abilities, he faced the setback of being unable to secure a place in the under-14 Delhi team, not due to a lack of merit but due to extraneous factors.

INTERNATIONAL CAREER

2008–2009: Debut and maiden stint In August 2008, Kohli was selected for inclusion in the ODl squad for the tour of Sri Lanka and the Champions Trophy in Pakistan. Prior to the Sri Lankan tour, Kohli had limited experience, with only eight List A matches under his belt.[46] So, his selection was considered a "surprise call-up".[47] During the Sri Lankan tour, as both first-choice openers Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, were unable to play due to injury, Kohli was required to fill the role of makeshift opener throughout the series.[48] On 18 August 2008, Kohli made his international debut at the age of 19 in the first ODI of the tour, where he was dismissed for 12 runs, caught dead in front by an incutter from Nuwan Kulasekara.[49] However, in the fourth match of the series, Kohli achieved his inaugural half century in the ODl format, with a total of fifty-four runs scored.[50] Following the postponement of the Champions Trophy to 2009, Kohli was picked as a replacement for the injured Shikhar Dhawan in the India A squad for the unofficial Tests against Australia A in September 2008.[51] Despite limited opportunities, he managed to make an impact in the single innings that he participated in, scoring 49 runs.[52] In October 2008, Kohli participated in a four-day tour match against Australia as part of the Indian Board President's XI team. The match featured a formidable Australian bowling line-up that consisted of Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle and Jason Krejza. Despite this, Kohli displayed his batting prowess by scoring 105 runs in the first innings and an unbeaten 16 runs in the second innings, demonstrating his ability to perform against high-level international competition.

CAREER SUMMARY

Kohli has made 80 centuries which includes 7 double centuries in international cricket—29 centuries including 7 double centuries in Test cricket, 50 centuries in One Day Internationals (ODIs) surpassing the record of Sachin Tendulkar, and 1 century in T20I.

OUTSIDE CRICKET

Kohli's romantic association with Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma, which commenced in 2013, earned the duo the moniker of "Virushka".[496] During an interview with Graham Bensinger, Kohli divulged that he had encountered Sharma for the first time, when they were both were engaged in a promotional shoot for Clear shampoo.[497] Their union since then has attracted significant media interest, with persistent rumours and speculations swirling around in the press, as both parties remained reticent about publicly discussing the relationship.[498] On 11 December 2017, the couple exchanged nuptials in an intimate ceremony held in Florence, Italy, becoming one of the most talked-about celebrity couples in the country.[499] On 11 January 2021, the couple had their first child, a daughter, who was named Vamika.[500] The child's name, Vamika, is derived from Sanskrit, meaning "little goddes

YOUTH AND DOMESTIC CAREER

Kohli's junior cricket career kicked off in October 2002 at the Luhnu cricket ground in a Polly Umrigar match against the host state of Himachal Pradesh. In his debut match, Kohli managed to score a total of fifteen runs. His first half-century in national cricket came at Ferozeshah Kotla, where he scored 70 runs against Harayana.[18] By the end of the season, Kohli had amassed a total of 172 runs, emerging as the highest run-scorer for his side with an average of 34.40.[19] During the 2003–04 season, Kohli was appointed as the captain of the under-15 team. In his first match of the season, he scored 54 runs in Delhi's victory over Himachal Pradesh. In the next fixture against Jammu and Kashmir, Kohli scored his maiden century with a score of 119 in a BCCI-conducted game. By the end of the season, he had amassed a total of 390 runs at an average of 78, which included two centuries.[20][21][a] Towards the end of 2004, Kohli earned selection for the 2004–05 Vijay Merchant Trophy with the Delhi under-17 team. In the four matches that he played, Kohli accumulated a total of 470 runs, with his highest score being 251* runs. The team's coach, Ajit Chaudhary, lauded his performance and was particularly impressed with his temperament on the field.[23][24] In the 2005–06 season, Kohli commenced his innings with a score of 227 against Punjab.