Virat Kohli Quick Facts
| Full Name | Virat Kohli |
| Profession | Cricketer, Batter |
| Date of Birth | 5 November 1988 |
| Birthplace | New Delhi, India |
| Batting Style | Right-handed |
| Bowling Style | Right-arm medium |
| Role | Top-order batter |
| Shirt Number | 18 |
| Domestic Team | Delhi |
| Nickname | Chiku; widely called “King Kohli” |
| Active Years | 2006 to present (international debut 2008) |
| IPL Team | Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2008 to present) |
| Spouse | Anushka Sharma |
| Nationality | Indian |
Why Virat Kohli Still Matters
Few Indian sportsmen have shaped a decade the way Virat Kohli did, and fewer still have reinvented themselves after it. Having stepped away from T20Is in 2024 and from Test cricket in May 2025, he has narrowed his focus to the 50-over game and the IPL, and the returns have been remarkable. He has turned Royal Challengers Bengaluru from perennial nearly-men into back-to-back champions, and his chasing record in ODIs remains the benchmark every young Indian batter is measured against. For a generation of fans, Kohli represents more than runs. He made fitness, intensity and accountability non-negotiable in Indian cricket, and his influence on the dressing room has outlasted his captaincy.
Virat Kohli Career Stats
| Format | Matches | Runs | Average | 100s / 50s | Highest Score | Catches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 123 | 9,230 | 46.85 | 30 / 31 | 254* | 121 |
| ODI | 317 | 15,105 | 58.77 | 55 / 79 | 183 | 169 |
| T20I | 125 | 4,188 | 48.69 | 1 / 38 | 122* | 54 |
Early Life and Family
Kohli was born in New Delhi on 5 November 1988. He came through Delhi’s age-group cricket and made his List A debut for Delhi in February 2006. In 2008 he captained India to victory at the ICC Under-19 World Cup, which fast-tracked him into the senior side later that year.
Breakthrough: From Delhi Age-Group Cricket to the World Cup
Kohli learned the game at the West Delhi Cricket Academy under coach Rajkumar Sharma, and his temperament became the stuff of legend early. In December 2006, the morning after his father Prem died, the 18-year-old returned to the crease for Delhi against Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy and batted on to 90 to help save the match. Two years later he captained India to the 2008 Under-19 World Cup title in Malaysia, and within months he was opening in ODIs in Sri Lanka. His first ODI hundred came against Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens in December 2009. In the 2011 World Cup final at the Wankhede, with Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar back in the pavilion early, his 35 in a steadying stand with Gautam Gambhir showed he belonged on the biggest stage.
Virat Kohli International Career Journey
| Format | Debut | Last Match / Status |
|---|---|---|
| ODI | 18 August 2008 v Sri Lanka | Active (latest listed: 3 October 2026 v West Indies) |
| T20I | 12 June 2010 v Zimbabwe | Retired after the 2024 T20 World Cup final |
| Test | 20 June 2011 v West Indies | Retired from Tests on 12 May 2025 |
Kohli became a fixture of India’s ODI side within two years of his debut and went on to captain India in all formats. He is the only Indian to have been ranked number one in Test, ODI and T20I batting.
Virat Kohli ICC Tournament Record
| Tournament | Result | Kohli’s Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| ODI World Cup 2011 | Winner | Century on World Cup debut; 35 in the final |
| Champions Trophy 2013 | Winner | Member of the winning squad |
| T20 World Cup 2014 | Runner-up | Player of the Tournament |
| T20 World Cup 2016 | Semi-finalist | Player of the Tournament |
| ODI World Cup 2023 | Runner-up | Player of the Tournament; record 765 runs in one edition |
| T20 World Cup 2024 | Winner | Player of the Match in the final (76) |
| Champions Trophy 2025 | Winner | Scored a century during the tournament |
Virat Kohli IPL Record
Kohli has played his entire IPL career for Royal Challengers Bengaluru since the first season in 2008 and is the competition’s leading run-scorer.
| Season | Highlight |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 973 runs at 81.08, a single-season record; Orange Cap |
| 2024 | 741 runs at 61.75; second Orange Cap |
| 2025 | IPL champion (RCB’s first title) |
| 2026 | IPL champion again; back-to-back titles for RCB |
Defining Innings Under Pressure
Kohli’s reputation was built on chases. At Hobart in 2012 he hammered 133 not out off 86 balls to chase down Sri Lanka’s 321 inside 40 overs, and weeks later he made 183 against Pakistan in Mirpur, still his highest ODI score. In his first Test as captain, at Adelaide in December 2014, he scored hundreds in both innings and almost pulled off a fourth-innings chase of 364.
His unbeaten 82 against Pakistan at the MCG in the 2022 T20 World Cup, including two sixes off Haris Rauf in the 19th over, is widely regarded as his finest T20 innings. At the 2023 World Cup he passed Tendulkar’s record with a 50th ODI hundred in the semi-final at the Wankhede, and in the 2024 T20 World Cup final in Barbados he rescued India from 34 for 3 with 76 off 59 balls to win Player of the Match.
Virat Kohli Records and Milestones
- Most centuries in ODI cricket
- Most runs in a single ODI World Cup edition (765 in 2023)
- Fastest to 8,000, 10,000, 11,000, 14,000 and 15,000 ODI runs; second batter to reach 15,000
- First player to score 20,000 international runs in a single decade
- Only Indian ranked number one in all three formats
Virat Kohli Awards and Honours
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2013 | Arjuna Award |
| 2017 | Padma Shri |
| 2017, 2018 | ICC Cricketer of the Year (Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy) |
| 2018 | Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna |
| 2018 | ICC Test Player of the Year |
| 2012, 2017, 2018, 2023 | ICC ODI Player of the Year |
| 2016, 2017, 2018 | Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World |
| 2011 to 2020 | ICC Male Cricketer of the Decade |
Batting Technique and Method
Kohli’s method rests on a still head, a high front elbow and an unusually strong bottom hand that lets him whip balls from outside off stump through midwicket. He is at his best against pace, using a short trigger movement onto the front foot and supple wrists that turn a good-length ball into two runs. His real edge is game management. In ODI chases he rarely takes aerial risks early, preferring to rotate the strike, run hard between the wickets and back himself to accelerate in the final 15 overs. The recurring weakness, the drive at balls in the fourth- and fifth-stump channel, was exposed in Australia in 2024-25 and is still the line new-ball bowlers target.
Current Form (2025-26) and Outlook
Now 37, Kohli remains India’s ODI anchor. He opened the 2026-27 home season with 139 not out off 88 balls against West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram on 27 September, his 55th ODI hundred, and went past 15,000 ODI runs in the same innings. He fell for a duck in the third ODI at New Chandigarh, but India had already sealed the series 2-1. Earlier in the year he made an unbeaten 75 in the IPL final in Ahmedabad as RCB beat Gujarat Titans for a second straight title. India’s white-ball tour of New Zealand, starting on 22 October, is the next stop.
Personal Life
Kohli married actor Anushka Sharma in 2017. The couple have a daughter, born in January 2021, and a son, born in February 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions About Virat Kohli
When was Virat Kohli born?
Virat Kohli was born on 5 November 1988 in New Delhi.
Has Virat Kohli retired from Test cricket?
Yes. He retired from T20Is after the 2024 T20 World Cup and from Test cricket on 12 May 2025. He continues to play ODIs for India and the IPL for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
How many IPL titles has Virat Kohli won?
Two, both with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, in 2025 and 2026.
