About VIRAT

Virat Kohli, born on November 5, 1988, in Delhi, India, comes from a family where his father, Prem Kohli, was a criminal lawyer, and his mother, Saroj Kohli, is a housewife. He was passionate about cricket from a very young age, starting to play at just 3 years old. At the age of 9, he joined the West Delhi Cricket Academy, where he was coached by Rajkumar Sharma. Despite facing a tragic loss with the death of his father in 2006, Kohli chose to play the next day in a Ranji Trophy match, scoring 90 runs for Delhi, a true testament to his grit.

His cricket journey began in 2002 when he represented the Delhi Under-15 team. In 2006, he led Delhi to the Vijay Merchant Trophy (U-19), and in 2008, he captained India to victory in the U-19 World Cup in Malaysia, which drew national attention from selectors. Kohli made his international debut in August 2008 in ODIs against Sri Lanka, followed by his Test debut in 2011 against the West Indies, and his T20I debut in 2010 against Zimbabwe.

He was appointed Test captain in 2013 after MS Dhoni's retirement and became the ODI and T20I captain in 2017. Kohli stepped down as T20I captain in 2022 and relinquished his Test captaincy in 2023, leaving behind the most wins by an Indian Test captain (40 out of 68 matches).

Kohli holds numerous records, including being the only cricketer to win Player of the Tournament twice in T20 World Cups (2014, 2016), fastest to reach milestones of 8,000, 9,000, 10,000, 11,000, and 12,000 ODI runs, and having the most centuries in ODIs (50). He is also the only player to score over 3,000 runs in T20Is.

Kohli has been recognized with several ICC Awards, including the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy in 2017 and 2018, and ODI Player of the Decade (2011-2020). In the IPL, he has played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) since 2008, holding the record for the most runs in IPL history (7,000+ runs) and the most centuries by a batter (7).

Off the field, Kohli's personal life has been widely followed, including his marriage to Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma in 2017 and the birth of their daughter, Vamika Kohli in January 2021 and son Akaay Kohli in February 2024. Kohli is also a philanthropist, running the Virat Kohli Foundation to support underprivileged athletes.

He has revolutionized fitness culture in Indian cricket, becoming a fitness icon. Kohli's aggressive batting style has redefined modern cricket, and he is ranked among the greatest batters of all time, inspiring a generation. He is also one of the most marketable athletes globally, endorsing brands like Puma, MRF, and Audi. Kohli’s journey from a Delhi boy with big dreams to a cricketing legend epitomizes hard work, passion, and relentless self-belief.