Virat Kohli (born 5 November 1988) is an Indian cricketer and former captain of the national team. He is one of the greatest batsmen of the modern era. He has scored 55 One Day International (ODI) centuries, more than any other player, and 86 international centuries in all. He has won the 2011 World Cup, the 2013 and 2025 Champions Trophies and the 2024 T20 World Cup, and in 2025 he finally won the IPL with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He retired from T20 internationals in 2024 and from Test cricket in 2025, and continues to play ODIs.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Virat Kohli |
| Nickname | King Kohli, Chiku |
| Born | 5 November 1988, New Delhi, India |
| Age | 37 |
| Role | Right-handed top-order batsman |
| International debut | ODI 2008, T20I 2010, Test 2011 |
| IPL team | Royal Challengers Bengaluru (since 2008) |
| Captaincy | Test (2014–2022), ODI and T20I (2017–2021) |
| Spouse | Anushka Sharma (m. 2017) |
| Children | 2 (Vamika, Akaay) |
| Known for | Most ODI centuries, chasing record, 2024 T20 World Cup final |
Early Life
Kohli was born in New Delhi to Prem Nath Kohli, a criminal lawyer, and Saroj Kohli. He joined the West Delhi Cricket Academy at the age of nine. In December 2006, while playing a Ranji Trophy match for Delhi, he learned that his father had died overnight. He went back to finish his innings the next morning before attending the funeral, a story that became part of his legend.
Career
Kohli captained India to victory at the 2008 Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia and made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka later that year. He was part of the squad that won the 2011 World Cup at home, and he made his Test debut against the West Indies in June 2011.
Kohli became India’s most reliable batsman, especially in run chases, and he won the 2013 Champions Trophy under MS Dhoni. He was made Test captain in late 2014 and led India to the top of the Test rankings and to a first Test series win in Australia in 2018–19. He also captained India in white-ball cricket from 2017. He reached 8,000, 10,000 and 11,000 ODI runs faster than any other player, and the ICC named him its Men’s Cricketer of the Decade for 2011–2020. He gave up the captaincy of all formats between 2021 and 2022.
During the 2023 World Cup, Kohli scored his 50th ODI century, passing Sachin Tendulkar‘s record of 49. He was Player of the Match in the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup, which India won under Rohit Sharma, and he retired from T20 internationals straight afterwards. He then helped India win the 2025 Champions Trophy. He retired from Test cricket in May 2025. That June he finally won the IPL with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the franchise he has played for since the league began, and he is the leading run-scorer in IPL history. He continues to play ODIs for India.
Personal Life and Business
Kohli married the actress Anushka Sharma on 11 December 2017 in Italy. They have a daughter, Vamika (born 2021), and a son, Akaay (born 2024). He is known for his strict fitness regime and vegetarian diet. His business interests include the clothing brands Wrogn and One8, the Chisel gym chain and a stake in the football club FC Goa.
Awards and Honours
Major Titles
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Virat Kohli born?
Virat Kohli was born on 5 November 1988 in New Delhi, India and is 37 years old.
What is Virat Kohli known for?
Known for: Most ODI centuries, chasing record, 2024 T20 World Cup final.
Featured image: Virat Kohli with Union Minister Prakash Javadekar. Photo by Press Information Bureau, Government of India, licensed under Government Open Data License – India, via Wikimedia Commons.
