Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli (born 5 November 1988, Delhi, India) is an Indian professional cricketer who plays as a right-handed batter and occasional right-arm medium-pace bowler for the Indian national cricket team and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of his generation, Kohli holds numerous international batting records and has been ranked the world's top-ranked Test and One Day International (ODI) batter on multiple occasions by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Early life and background

Virat Kohli was born on 5 November 1988 in Delhi to Prem Kohli, a criminal lawyer, and Saroj Kohli. He grew up in the Uttam Nagar neighbourhood of West Delhi. Kohli demonstrated an early passion for cricket, and at the age of nine he enrolled at the West Delhi Cricket Academy under coach Rajkumar Sharma, who is widely credited with shaping his foundational technique. He attended Vishal Bharati Public School and later Save the Children India School in Delhi.

His father Prem Kohli passed away in December 2006, an event Kohli has spoken about publicly as a formative moment in his life. Despite the personal loss, Kohli played a Ranji Trophy match the following morning, scoring 90 runs — an episode that became part of his public narrative of determination and mental fortitude.

Domestic and early international career

Delhi and Under-19 cricket

Kohli made his Ranji Trophy debut for Delhi in 2006 at the age of 18. His performances for Delhi in domestic cricket, combined with his leadership of the Indian Under-19 team, quickly brought him to national attention. He captained India at the 2008 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup held in Malaysia, where India won the title — a tournament that served as a launching pad for numerous players who went on to international careers.

IPL career

Kohli has represented Royal Challengers Bengaluru (formerly Royal Challengers Bangalore) since the inaugural IPL season in 2008. He became one of the franchise's most important players and served as its captain for several years. In 2016, Kohli recorded one of the most extraordinary batting seasons in IPL history, scoring 973 runs in a single tournament — a record that remained unbroken as of mid-2025. He won the IPL title with RCB in 2024, ending a long wait for the franchise's first championship.

International career

Test cricket

Kohli made his Test debut against the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica, in June 2011. He established himself as India's premier Test batter over subsequent years, becoming particularly renowned for his performances in overseas conditions — a traditional weakness for Indian batters. He succeeded MS Dhoni as India's Test captain in 2014 and led the side to notable achievements, including a series victory in Australia in 2018–19, India's first Test series win on Australian soil.

As captain, Kohli earned a reputation for aggressive, results-oriented leadership and for promoting a physically demanding fitness culture within Indian cricket. He stepped down as Test captain in January 2022 following a series defeat to South Africa.

Kohli's Test record includes more than 9,000 runs and 29 Test centuries as of mid-2025, though his exact tally continues to evolve. His conversion rate from fifties to hundreds has been a distinguishing statistical feature of his career.

ODI cricket

In ODI cricket, Kohli is widely considered the format's pre-eminent run-scorer of his era. He has surpassed Sachin Tendulkar's record of 49 ODI centuries, becoming the first batter to reach 50 ODI hundreds. His ODI batting average has consistently exceeded 57 across his career, placing him among the highest averages in the format's history. Kohli was a key member of the Indian squad that won the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup and the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

T20 International cricket

Although Kohli's T20I batting average has sometimes been cited as surprisingly moderate relative to his ODI and Test numbers, he has been among India's most consistent performers in the format. He announced his retirement from T20 International cricket following India's victory at the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States.

Captaincy

Kohli served as captain of the Indian national team across all three formats at various points between 2014 and 2022. He relinquished the T20I captaincy in September 2021, was removed from the ODI captaincy in January 2022, and stepped down from Test captaincy shortly thereafter. His overall win percentage as Test captain placed him among the most successful Indian Test captains.

Playing style and technique

Kohli bats right-handed and is known for his ability to play forcefully through the off side and leg side, combining classical technique with aggressive intent. His footwork against both pace and spin bowling has been widely praised by analysts and former players. He is particularly noted for his fitness, running between the wickets, and the mental intensity he brings to matches.

His technique has evolved over his career; earlier struggles against deliveries moving away outside the off stump — particularly evident during India's 2014 tour of England — were subsequently addressed, and he returned to England in 2018 and 2021 with considerably improved performances. Some analysts have noted a relative dip in his scoring frequency in Test cricket from around 2020 onward, though the reasons remain a matter of public debate rather than settled analysis.

Personal life

Kohli married Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma on 11 December 2017 in Tuscany, Italy. The couple have two children: a daughter, Vamika, born in January 2021, and a son, Akaay, born in February 2024. Kohli has spoken publicly about following a vegetarian diet and has been associated with health and wellness advocacy.

Off the field, Kohli is one of India's most commercially prominent athletes, with brand endorsements spanning sportswear, beverages, and lifestyle products. He co-founded the fashion brand Wrogn and has invested in various business ventures including a chain of fitness centres.

Records and honours

• First batter to score 50 centuries in ODI cricket
• Most runs in IPL history (single-season record of 973 runs in 2016, as of mid-2025)
• ICC Cricketer of the Year (Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy) on multiple occasions
• Arjuna Award (2013) and Padma Shri (2017), two of India's major civilian honours
• ICC Test Cricketer of the Year on multiple occasions
• Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award (2018), India's highest sports honour
• Winner: 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, 2024 IPL

Frequently asked questions

Is Virat Kohli the greatest batter of all time?

Whether Kohli ranks as the greatest batter of all time is a matter of ongoing debate among cricket historians and analysts. He is widely regarded as among the very best of his era and one of the greatest ODI batters in history, though comparisons with players such as Sachin Tendulkar, Don Bradman, and Brian Lara involve different eras and conditions.

Is Virat Kohli retired from cricket?

As of mid-2025, Kohli has retired from T20 International cricket but continues to play Test and ODI cricket for India, as well as the IPL for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Is Virat Kohli a vegetarian?

Yes. Kohli has publicly stated that he adopted a vegetarian diet for health and fitness reasons, a dietary shift he has attributed partly to advice from medical professionals regarding a spinal issue earlier in his career.

Is Virat Kohli the all-time leading run-scorer in ODIs?

As of mid-2025, Kohli holds the record for the most ODI centuries but the overall ODI runs record continues to evolve; Sachin Tendulkar's aggregate of over 18,000 ODI runs remained the all-time record for total runs in the format, though Kohli's tally continues to grow.

Is Virat Kohli married?

Yes. Kohli married actress Anushka Sharma on 11 December 2017 in Tuscany, Italy. They have two children together.