Heritage · Living legacy

Virat Kohli

Indian cricketer and former national captain, with a career spanning World Cup victories, batting milestones and IPL cricket.By Confinity Heritage Editorial · 2026-10-15 · 6-minute read

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Career beginnings

Virat Kohli is an Indian cricketer and former national captain. Born in Delhi on 5 November 1988, he made his senior one-day international debut against Sri Lanka in August 2008 and his Test debut against the West Indies in June 2011. His career has spanned three international formats and a long association with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL. Cricket Australia, RCB player profile Earlier in 2008, Kohli captained India to the Under-19 World Cup title in Malaysia. India defeated South Africa in a rain-affected final, and he finished the competition with 235 runs. In a later ICC interview, he described the tournament as a turning point: television coverage brought recognition, while the team’s success opened opportunities in professional cricket. ICC Under-19 retrospective By the time he entered Test cricket in 2011, he had already made five ODI centuries. He was part of India’s 2011 World Cup-winning team and, two years later, its Champions Trophy-winning side. His first Test century came in Adelaide in 2012; that year, he also made an unbeaten 133 from 86 balls against Sri Lanka in Hobart. During the 2014–15 Australian Test tour, he added four centuries and 692 runs across four matches. Cricket Australia, ICC awards record

Leadership and recognition

Test batting and captaincy

Kohli’s Test career included difficult tours as well as high-scoring ones. In England in 2014, he managed 134 runs across five Tests. On his return in 2018, he scored 593 in five matches, including 149 at Edgbaston and another century at Trent Bridge. He was named India’s Player of the Series, although England won the series 4–1. ICC’s England retrospective After taking over the Test captaincy from MS Dhoni, Kohli led India in 68 Tests and won 40, the most victories by an Indian men’s Test captain. His first series win as captain came in Sri Lanka in 2015, ending India’s 22-year wait for a Test series victory there. During his tenure, India reached No. 1 in the Test rankings and qualified for the first World Test Championship final in 2021. At home, the team won 24 of its 31 Tests under his captaincy. BCCI captaincy statement The 2018–19 tour of Australia brought India’s first Test series win in that country. Victories in Adelaide and Melbourne produced a 2–1 result after the final Test in Sydney was drawn. Cheteshwar Pujara’s 521 runs earned him Player of the Series; in Sydney, Pujara made 193, Rishabh Pant scored an unbeaten 159 and Kuldeep Yadav took five wickets. Kohli’s response credited the players who had made the captaincy successful. ICC series report Other victories drew on different contributors. At Trent Bridge in 2018, Kohli’s 97 and 103 were accompanied by five-wicket innings from Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah. At Lord’s in 2021, India’s fast bowlers secured victory late on the final day, with Bumrah breaking a resistant partnership and Mohammed Siraj finishing the innings. ICC review of victories under Kohli Kohli stepped down as Test captain in January 2022 and continued as a batter. When he announced his Test retirement on 12 May 2025, his record stood at 123 matches, 9,230 runs and 30 centuries. His seven double centuries were the most by an Indian Test batter. BCCI, ICC retirement report

National and international awards

He received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in September 2018. In December 2020, the ICC named him Male Cricketer of the Decade and Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Decade. The awards assessed performances from 1 January 2011 to 7 October 2020. President of India, ICC decade awards

World Cup milestones

ODI records and tournaments

In September 2023, Kohli became the quickest batter to reach 13,000 ODI runs, reaching the mark in his 267th innings during an Asia Cup century against Pakistan. That innings was his 47th ODI hundred. ICC Asia Cup report Two months later, he passed Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 ODI centuries. His 50th came against New Zealand in the World Cup semi-final in Mumbai on 15 November 2023. It was also his first century in a World Cup knockout match. ICC milestone report Kohli finished that World Cup with 765 runs, three centuries and an average of 95.62. He reached at least fifty in nine of his eleven innings and was named Player of the Tournament. India reached the final, where Australia won the title. ICC Player of the Tournament announcement India won the Champions Trophy in 2025. Kohli contributed an unbeaten hundred against Pakistan and 84 in the semi-final against Australia. After the final, he emphasised the contributions distributed across the side, including Shubman Gill, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakravarthy and Shreyas Iyer. Captain Rohit Sharma’s 76 helped India complete the final chase against New Zealand. ICC final reaction His ODI career continued in 2026. On 27 September, against the West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram, he passed 15,000 ODI runs and made his 55th century in the format. His unbeaten 139 from 88 balls, alongside a Gill century and four wickets from Kuldeep, helped India win by eight wickets. Afterwards, Kohli spoke about trying to increase his scoring tempo at this stage of his career. ICC match report, ICC post-match interview

T20 internationals

Kohli was Player of the Tournament at both the 2014 and 2016 men’s World Twenty20 competitions. In 2014, his 319 runs helped India reach the final. In 2016, he scored 273 runs in five innings, including an unbeaten 82 against Australia and an unbeaten 89 in the semi-final against the West Indies. ICC award announcement His first T20 international century came against Afghanistan at the 2022 Asia Cup. The 122 from 61 balls was also his first international hundred since November 2019. ICC innings report His final T20 international was the 2024 World Cup final against South Africa. Kohli made 76 from 59 balls, received Player of the Match and announced his retirement from the format after India’s victory. He continued playing ODI and IPL cricket. ICC final and retirement report

IPL success

Kohli joined the Bengaluru franchise in the IPL’s first season in 2008. His 2016 campaign produced 973 runs in sixteen matches, including four centuries. RCB reached the final that year, where Kohli made 54 and Chris Gayle scored 76, but Sunrisers Hyderabad won by eight runs. RCB historical record, official IPL final report RCB’s first IPL title arrived in June 2025. Kohli top-scored with 43 as the team made 190 for nine and defeated Punjab Kings by six runs. The successful defence depended on contributions throughout the bowling attack. Official IPL 2025 final report Under captain Rajat Patidar, RCB retained the title in May 2026. Kohli’s unbeaten 75 from 42 balls earned him Player of the Match in the five-wicket win over Gujarat Titans. The bowlers had restricted Gujarat to 155 for eight, and Venkatesh Iyer’s 32 from sixteen balls helped start the chase. Kohli later described how playing alongside younger batters had encouraged him to take on bowlers more frequently. Official IPL 2026 final report, RCB post-final interview

Public contributions

During the 2019 World Cup, Kohli asked spectators to stop booing Australia’s Steve Smith, who had returned following a ban over ball-tampering. The gesture subsequently earned Kohli the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award for 2019, announced in January 2020. ICC account of the incident, ICC award announcement In May 2021, Kohli and Anushka Sharma launched a COVID-relief fundraiser through Ketto. They contributed ₹2 crore jointly at its launch and invited public participation in the campaign. Royal Challengers Bengaluru

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Timeline

2008Captains India to the Under-19 World Cup title; makes his ODI debut.
2011Part of India’s ODI World Cup winning team; makes his Test debut.
2018Receives the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, as it was named at the time.
2023Scores his 50th ODI century in the World Cup semi-final on 15 November.
2024Player of the Match in India’s T20 World Cup final victory; retires from T20 internationals.
2025Announces Test retirement on 12 May; RCB wins its first IPL title.
2026Makes 75 not out as RCB retains the IPL title; reaches 15,000 ODI runs and his 55th ODI century on 27 September.

Sources & further reading (28)

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