Virat Kohli, a former captain of the Indian squad, requires no introduction. He is, after all, the person who, every time he steps onto the greens, whips our cricket-crazed nation into a frenzy.
If you’re a fan of Kohli, you will be interested in the cricketer and learn more about his life after reading this article. The following information about Virat Kohli’s cricket career may surprise you.
Early Days of Virat’s Cricket Career
Very few people know with certainty what they want to do at a young age. And Kohli was among those who showed an interest in cricket at the age of three. It’s difficult to believe, but it’s true!
When Virat was nine years old, his father, Prem Kohli, enrolled him in the West Delhi Cricket Academy in 1998. Kohli received tutoring from Raj Kumar Sharma, who was captivated by the youngster’s outstanding performance just two weeks into his coaching. Simultaneously, Kohli began playing matches at the Sumeet Dogra Academy in Delhi.
Kohli first drew attention when he played in the Polly Umrigar Trophy in 2002-2003. He played for the Delhi Under-15 team and was the leading run-scorer in the tournament. He scored 172 runs at a 34.40 average.
After an outstanding performance in the 2002-03 Polly Umrigar championship, he was named the Under-15 team’s captain and led the team to the 2003-04 championship.
Virat Kohli then went on to play for the Delhi Under-17 team in the 2003-04 Vijay Merchant Trophy. King Kohli reclaimed his title after scoring 470 runs in four Vijay Merchant Trophy matches. The next year, he continued to contribute efficiently and helped the Delhi Under-17 team win the 2004–05 Vijay Merchant Trophy.
By 2006, Kohli was ready to make his Delhi debut and play his maiden List A match against the Services. Later, he also made his First-Class debut in a Ranji Trophy match against Tamil Nadu. Even though he didn’t score much throughout the game, he showed a lot of promise.
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Unfortunately, he experienced a personal blow when his father died of a heart attack during the Ranji Trophy tournament in December 2006. The Indian batsman, however, did not let this deter him from his goal and instead used it to fuel his performance.
Kohli went on to strike a 90 against Karnataka in a Ranji competition just a day after his father died. A game that will go down in history as an inspiration to countless people around the country. It demonstrated how the cricketer remained focused on his goals in the face of adversity.
Kohli’s constant good play won him a position on the India Under-19 team for the 2006 England trip. Virat Kohli performed admirably for the India Under-19s and made his T20 debut in 2007.
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International Career of Virat Kohli
A skill like King Kohli’s deserved all of the praise it received. The following are some of the highlights from the cricketer’s mainstream career:
Virat Kohli has garnered tremendous recognition as a result of his performance thus far, but his first taste of true success came when he was named captain of the U-19 World Cup team. He guided the Under-19 squad to victory and lifted the 2008 Under-19 World Cup at that time.
Kohli’s outstanding performance and lethal cover drive earned him the Border-Gavaskar Scholarship later that year. Following that, he spent six weeks at Cricket Australia’s Centre of Excellence in Brisbane.
Also Read: Virat Kohli’s Cover Drive: Strength or Weakness?
Finally, at the age of 19, the Chase Master made his International ODI debut in August 2008. Despite being dismissed for 12 runs in that match, he went on to hit his first ODI half-century against Sri Lanka in the series’ fourth encounter. The Indian team ultimately won the series against Sri Lanka, which was also held in Sri Lanka.
He was soon given the opportunity to play for India in the 2009 ICC Championship Trophy. This was the first of many firsts for Virat Kohli, who was named Man of the Match in the series opener against the West Indies. He also scored his first ODI century in December 2009, followed by another in 2010.
Kohli’s consistent success helped him earn the hearts of cricket fans all around the world, as well as a position on India’s World Cup team in 2011. In his World Cup debut, he became the first Indian batsman to make a century (against Bangladesh).
He was named in India’s Test squad for the West Indies Tour in June and July 2011. He struggled to succeed in the format, though, and was dropped from the team.
In August 2011, he was invited back as Yuvraj Singh’s substitute for a Test series against England; however, he did not play any matches. But he bided his time and eventually emerged as a terrific Test player while touring Australia in December 2011. Despite the fact that India lost the Australia series, Kohli hit his first Test century in the series finale and was the leading scorer for the Indian squad.
Virat Kohli was named vice captain of the Indian team for the 2012 Asia Cup, which was held in Bangladesh. Even though India did not go to the finals, Kohli hit 183 runs against Pakistan in the final group encounter. This became the highest individual score against Pakistan in an ODI, breaking Brian Lara’s previous record of 156 runs.
His dedication to the sport was evident in his steady performance in 2013. He made the fastest century by an Indian batsman in an ODI series against Australia in 2013, scoring 100 runs off 52 balls.
In 2014, Kohli was named Indian Test squad captain and scored 692 runs, the most by an Indian in an Australian Test series.
Kohli truly claimed the ‘fastest batting’ distinction during his 2015 stay, reaching 1000 runs in the 17th innings of a T20I against South Africa. In the same year, he became the first Indian to score a century against Pakistan in the World Cup.
His batting rampage continued in 2017, when he scored 2818 runs in international cricket. After M.S. Dhoni quit as captain of the limited-overs team, Virat Kohli was named captain across all formats. In addition, as Captain, he became the only batsman in history to reach six double hundreds.
Virat Kohli’s outstanding performance propelled him to the top of the ICC Test Rankings in August 2018, making him the seventh Indian batsman to do so. The same year, Kohli became the first Indian captain to smash three consecutive hundreds in One Day Internationals, scoring 593 runs — the highest total by an Indian batsman in a losing series — and, more crucially, became the fastest player to reach 10,000 ODI runs.
While India’s victory ratio (excluding ICC tournaments) was relatively strong under Virat Kohli’s captaincy. Following the loss of the 2021 T20 World Cup, Virat Kohli resigned from the T20 captaincy in September 2021. He was succeeded by Rohit Sharma as captain of the Indian team.
Kohli then stepped down as ODI skipper in December 2021 and as Test captain in January 2022.
Virat Kohli’s IPL Experience
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is an annual men’s T20 league in which the entire country, divided into state teams, comes together for the love of the game.
Also Read: How Does the IPL Auction Work? – Explained
Here are some of Virat Kohli’s IPL highlights:
He was signed by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the inaugural season of the IPL in 2008. Since then, he has been playing for the same camp, currently led by Faf du Plessis.
Virat Kohli was appointed RCB team captain in 2013 and served in that capacity for the next eight seasons. He resigned as captain at the end of the 2021 season.
Virat Kohli had his greatest IPL season in 2016, when he played 16 matches and amassed 973 runs, four hundreds, and seven half-centuries. This season saw him record his highest IPL score of 113 runs off 50 balls. During the same season, he also earned the orange cap.
Kohli, widely regarded as one of the top IPL players, has achieved the following milestones in his IPL career. We are sure that all Kohli supporters are waiting with bated breath to see how he performs in future seasons of the IPL.
Final Thoughts
The rise to fame of Virat Kohli from his earliest playing days to his current position as one of the greatest batters in the world is evidence of his perseverance, hard work, and unchanging love for the game.
His career has been littered with awards, records, and brilliant moments. Cricket fans all across the world are eagerly awaiting the chapters still to be written in his extraordinary career as he continues to develop as a player and a leader.
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