Virat Kohli

Kohli is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket and the best of the 21st century.

He holds the record as the highest run-scorer in T20I and IPL, ranks third in ODI, and stands as the fourth-highest in international cricket.

He also holds the record for scoring the most centuries in ODI cricket and stands second in the list of most international centuries scored.

Virat Kohli (born 5 November 1988) is an Indian international cricketer and the former captain of the Indian national cricket team.

He is a right-handed batsman and an occasional medium-fast bowler.

He currently represents Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL and Delhi in domestic cricket.

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.

Kohli's formative years were spent in Uttam Nagar.

He commenced his early education at Vishal Bharti Public School.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Prem Kohli received offers to relocate his son to influential clubs, which would have ensured his selection, but he declined the proposals, as he was determined that Kohli should earn his recognition based on his own merit and overcome the system of nepotism and deceit prevalent in the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA).

Kohli persisted and eventually found his way into the under-15 Delhi team.

He received training at the academy while simultaneously participating in matches at the Sumeet Dogra Academy located at Vasundhara Enclave.

As per Sharma's recollection of Kohli's initial days at his academy, he exuded remarkable talent, making it arduous for the coach to curb his enthusiasm.

Kohli remained prepared to bat at any position, and often, Sharma had to physically coerce him to leave the training sessions, as he was reluctant to depart.

In pursuit of furthering his cricketing career, he transitioned to Saviour Convent School during his ninth-grade education.

Kohli's ardent passion for cricket compelled him to travel long distances with his father to ensure that he never missed a match.

With time, he diligently honed his skills and diversified his range of shots, commanding respect from the local bowlers.

Kohli was a member of the Indian team that won the 2011 Cricket World Cup, 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, and captained India to win the ICC Test mace three consecutive times in 2017, 2018, and 2019.

He won the ICC ODI Player of the Year award four times in 2012, 2017, 2018, and 2023.

In 2013, Kohli was ranked number one in the ICC rankings for ODI batsmen.

At the national level, Kohli was honoured with the Arjuna Award in 2013, the Padma Shri in 2017, and India's highest sporting honour, the Khel Ratna award, in 2018.

In 2015, he achieved the summit of T20I rankings.

Also, he was named the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World for three consecutive years, from 2016 to 2018.

He also won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, given to the ICC Cricketer of the Year, on two occasions, in 2017 and 2018 respectively.

In 2018, he was ranked top Test batsman, making him the only Indian cricketer to hold the number one spot in all three formats of the game.

He is the first player to score 20,000 runs in a decade.

In 2018, he became the first player to win both ICC ODI and Test Player of the Year awards in the same year.

In 2018, Time magazine included him on its list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Kohli has been deemed one of the most commercially viable athletes, with estimated earnings of in the year 2022.

In 2020, the International Cricket Council named him the male cricketer of the decade.

He has received many accolades for his performances in cricket.