Virat Kohli is regarded as one of India’s finest cricketers. Since making his India debut in 2008, he has played a pivotal role in most of India’s successes. He has been one of the driving forces behind the team’s sensation on the global stage, significantly contributing to its impressive performances and accomplishments.
Kohli is a right-handed batter who is also an occasional unorthodox right-arm fast bowler. He has been often compared with legendary India batter Sachin Tendulkar, given his batting style and approach to the game. The Delhi-born batter also has the potential to transcend Tendulkar’s record in the future and he is thus dubbed as the Master Blaster’s “successor.”
Kohli assumed the role of Test captain in June 2014, following Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s retirement from the format. The 35-year-old then became ODI captain in January 2017 and took over the T20I captaincy in September 2017, both times succeeding the legendary wicketkeeper-batter. He served India as captain till 2021 and under his captaincy, India enjoyed considerable success. He guided India to triumph in numerous series and delivered a strong comprehensive performance on the international stage. He set a record while leading the Test side, becoming the captain with the most wins, achieving the record with 40 victories out of 68 matches.
Over the years, Kohli has earned widespread praise as the greatest limited-overs batter from both cricketing fraternity and fans. He has so far accumulated 13,906 runs in 295 matches, boasting an average of 58.18 and a strike rate of 93.54 in ODIS. Meanwhile, in T20Is, he has scored 4,188 runs in 125 games, at an average of 48.69. In addition, his Test record is equally impressive, with 8,848 runs in 113 matches where he achieved it with an average of 49.15.
Kohli is currently ranked second in the all-time T20I runs chart, third in ODIs, and fourth in international cricket (across all three formats). He also holds the record for the most centuries in ODI cricket (50). He surpassed Tendulkar’s tally of 49 tons in the 50-over format on 15 November 2023 in the semifinal of the 2023 Cricket World Cup, where India emerged as runners-up. He also achieved another record during this event, becoming the first player to score over 700 runs in a single edition of the ODI World Cup. Meanwhile, in T20I format he has scored only one hundred, which he achieved in September 2022 against Afghanistan in Dubai.
In addition, he is also second on the list of most international hundreds, with a total of 80 centuries. He is trailing behind Tendulkar who has scored 100 tons during his illustrious career. This 80 tons in international cricket includes seven double centuries. His record includes 29 centuries with 7 double centuries in the longest format of the game. Given his record, he holds a significant place in India’s cricketing history, being the only cricketer to have been named Player of the Tournament in the T20 World Cup twice. He achieved this feat in the events held in 2014 and 2016.
In 2018, the 35-year-old set a notable record as the first player to score 1,000 ODI runs in just 11 innings within a calendar year. He added another feather to his cap by accumulating 1,000 runs in the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. He became the second player to achieve this feat, following legendary Sri Lankan cricketer Mahela Jayawardene. Additionally, during the match against Bangladesh in this tournament, he also became the all-time top-scorer in T20 World Cup history.
Kohli is the first player to accumulate 20,000 runs in a single decade and in 2020, the International Cricket Council (ICC) recognized him as the male cricketer of the decade. It is worth noting that, the Delhi-born batter has thus far clinched a total of 10 ICC Awards, more than any other player in international cricket. Additionally, he has also been named ICC ODI Player of the Year four times—in 2012, 2017, 2018, and 2023.
Kohli made history in 2018, becoming the first player to claim both the ICC ODI and Test Player of the Year awards in the same year. Moreover, he holds the second-most “Player of the Match” awards and the highest number of “Player of the Series” awards across all formats combined. His performances were further elevated when he was honored with the Arjuna Award in 2013, the Padma Shri in 2017, and India’s highest sporting award, the Khel Ratna Award, in 2018.
Kohli was a prominent figure during India’s title-winning ICC campaigns, including the 2011 Cricket World Cup, the 2013 Champions Trophy, and the 2024 T20 World Cup. He also led India to clinch the ICC Test mace in a row in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Additionally, after India won an ICC trophy after 13 years in 2024 and, he announced his retirement from T20I cricket.
Furthermore, Kohli has an impressive record in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he has been representing the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) since the inception of the tournament. He tops the list of most runs in the history of IPL with 8,004 runs in 252 games, boasting an average of 38.66 and a strike rate of 131.97. He also holds the record of the player with most runs in a single edition of the tournament with 973 runs in 2016.
He is also the only player who was involved in three double-century partnerships in IPL, twice with AB de Villiers and once with Chris Gayle. He is the highest run-getter against Delhi capitals in IPL, having amassed 1030 runs. He holds the record for the most number of centuries in the tournament with eight hundred and also the record for the most centuries in a single season, with 4. Despite winning a title in the cash-rich league his consistent performances have solidified his status as one of the most prolific players in the history of the tournament.
