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Virat Kohli

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"Virat" redirects here. For other uses, see Virat (disambiguation).

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Virat Kohli[1] (born 5 November 1988) is an Indian international cricketer and the former all-format captain of the Indian national cricket team.[1] He is a right-handed batter and occasional right-arm medium pace bowler. Considered one of the greatest all-format batsmen in the history of cricket, he has been nicknamed the King, the Chase Master, and the Run Machine for his skills, records and ability to lead his team to victory.[2] Kohli has the most centuries in ODIs and the second-most centuries in international cricket with 85 tons across all formats. He is also the leading run-scorer in the Indian Premier League.[3] Kohli is the most successful Test captain of India with most wins and 3 consecutive Test mace retainments.[4] He is the only batter to earn 900+ rating points across all 3 formats.[5]

Kohli was the captain of the 2008 U19 World Cup winning team and was a crucial member of the teams that won the 2011 ODI World Cup, 2013 Champions Trophy, 2024 T20 World Cup, and 2025 Champions Trophy. He plays for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League and for Delhi in domestic cricket. In 2013, Kohli was ranked number one in the ODI batting rankings. In 2015, he achieved the same in T20I.[6] In 2018, he was ranked number one in Test, making him the only Indian to hold the number one spot in all three formats. He is the first player to score 20,000 runs in a decade. He was the Cricketer of the Decade for 2011 to 2020.[7]

Kohli has won ten ICC Awards, making him the most awarded player in international cricket history. He won the ODI Player of the Year award four times in 2012, 2017, 2018, and 2023. He won the Cricketer of the Year award, on two occasions, in 2017 and 2018. In 2018, he became the first player to win all three major awards including Cricketer of the Year, ODI Player of the Year and Test Player of the Year in the same year. He was honored with the Spirit of Cricket Award in 2019 and given the Cricketer of the Decade and ODI Cricketer of the Decade in 2020. Kohli was named the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World for three consecutive years.

Kohli has the most Player of the Series and second most Player of the Match awards to his name in all three formats combined. He 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. Time included him on its 100 most influential people in the world list in 2018. Kohli has been deemed one of the most commercially viable athletes, with estimated earnings of ₹634 crore (US$75 million) in the year 2022.

After winning the 2024 T20 World Cup and winning the Player of the Match award in the final, Kohli announced his retirement from T20Is.[8] On 12 May 2025, aged 36, he announced his retirement from the Test format.[9] He is married to actress Anushka Sharma, and they have two children named Vamika and Akaay Kohli.[10]

Early life

Kohli was born and raised in New Delhi. He joined the West Delhi Cricket Academy at a young age and progressed through age-group cricket, captaining India to victory at the 2008 Under-19 World Cup.

Youth and domestic career

Kohli rose through domestic cricket in Delhi, performing strongly in youth tournaments and earning selection to senior domestic teams. His domestic performances earned him a place with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League.

International career

Kohli made his international debut in 2008 and became a regular in the Indian side across formats. He established himself as a world-class batsman through numerous match-winning innings and run-chases. Kohli has been praised for his chasing ability, consistency, and fitness.

Playing style

Kohli is known for his technical ability, strong footwork, and wide range of strokes. He is also regarded as an excellent fielder and a determined competitor on the field.

Personal life

Kohli married actress Anushka Sharma in 2017. The couple have two children. Off the field, Kohli has business investments and is involved in philanthropic activities through the Virat Kohli Foundation.

Honours and achievements

Career summary

Kohli has amassed large numbers of runs in Test, ODI and T20 international cricket. He is among the top run-scorers in both international cricket and the IPL.

References and external links

For full article, see the original Wikipedia page: Virat Kohli — Wikipedia.