Who is Virat Kohli?
Virat Kohli is an Indian cricketer and former captain of India in all formats. Widely regarded as one of the greatest batters in the history of the game, he holds the record for the most centuries in One Day Internationals and is the leading run-scorer in the Indian Premier League.
Early life and background
Kohli was born in New Delhi in 1988. He joined the West Delhi Cricket Academy as a child and rose through Delhi’s junior teams. In 2008 he captained India to victory at the Under-19 World Cup, which quickly led to his senior debut.
Career highlights
- 2011 World Cup: part of India’s title-winning squad.
- Captaincy: became India’s full-time Test captain in 2014 and later led in all formats.
- ICC titles: also won the 2013 Champions Trophy, the 2024 T20 World Cup (Player of the Match in the final) and the 2025 Champions Trophy.
- IPL: has played his whole IPL career for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Major achievements
Kohli has scored more than 80 international centuries and was the first player to make 20,000 international runs in a single decade. He has been ranked number one in all three formats, the only Indian to do so, and was named ICC Cricketer of the Decade for 2011–2020.
Records and consistency
Kohli’s numbers in ODI run chases are among the best in history, and many of his centuries have come while chasing a target, often in tense situations. He reached milestones such as 8,000, 10,000 and 12,000 ODI runs faster than any player before him. Between 2016 and 2019 he enjoyed one of the greatest runs of form in modern cricket, averaging highly in all three formats at the same time.
Big moments
During the 2023 World Cup, Kohli scored his 50th ODI century, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s long-standing record of 49. In 2025, he finally won the IPL with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, ending the franchise’s 18-year wait for a title. Off the field, he has built businesses including the lifestyle brand One8, launched with Puma, and a group of restaurants.
Timeline: key moments
- 1988Born in New Delhi
- 2008Wins U19 World Cup as captain; ODI debut
- 2011Test debut; wins Cricket World Cup
- 2014Becomes India’s Test captain
- 2017Captain in all formats
- 2018Ranked number one in Test cricket
- 2023Scores record 50th ODI century
- 2024Wins T20 World Cup and retires from T20Is
- 2025Retires from Tests; wins Champions Trophy and first IPL title
Expertise
He is known for chasing targets under pressure, superb fitness and consistency across formats. His focus on fitness changed standards across Indian cricket.
Leadership and impact
As captain he built an aggressive, fitness-driven Indian side that became especially strong in Test cricket at home and abroad.
Notable recognition
He has won ten ICC awards, the most by any player, and received India’s Arjuna Award (2013), Padma Shri (2017) and Khel Ratna (2018).
Current work
Kohli retired from T20 Internationals in 2024 and from Test cricket in May 2025. He continues to play ODIs for India and plays in the IPL.
Online presence
He is one of the most followed athletes in the world on Instagram and is a major brand ambassador.
Lessons for your career
Talent grows fastest with discipline: Kohli’s rise shows how fitness, preparation and a hunger to improve can lift performance to world-class level.
Virat Kohli combined relentless discipline with natural talent to become one of cricket’s all-time great batters and a symbol of modern Indian sport.
