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Who is Virat Kohli?
Virat Kohli is an Indian international cricketer who currently represents India in One Day Internationals (ODIs) and is a former captain across all formats of the game. A right-handed batsman and an occasional medium pace bowler, Kohli is widely regarded as one of the finest batters in cricket history. Nicknamed the King, Chase Master, and Run Machine, he is celebrated for his consistency, numerous records, and his leadership that often led India to victory.
He holds the record for the most runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and ranks third in all-time run-scoring in T20 Internationals, ODIs, and overall international cricket. Kohli has scored the highest number of centuries in ODIs and is second only in total international centuries. As India’s most successful Test captain, he led the team to consecutive ICC Test Mace victories and secured the highest number of wins during his leadership. He remains the only player to achieve a 900+ rating in all three formats of international cricket.
Kohli first made headlines as captain of India’s victorious 2008 Under-19 World Cup team. He later played key roles in India's triumphs in the 2011 Cricket World Cup, 2013 Champions Trophy, 2024 T20 World Cup, and 2025 Champions Trophy. Domestically, he represents Delhi and plays for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL. In 2013, he rose to the top of the ICC ODI batting rankings, followed by becoming the top-ranked T20I batter in 2015. He achieved the number one spot in Tests in 2018, making him the only Indian to top all three formats. Kohli was also the first cricketer to amass over 20,000 international runs in a single decade and was named Cricketer of the Decade for 2011–2020.
Following his Player of the Match performance in the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup, Kohli announced his retirement from T20 Internationals. On May 12, 2025, he officially retired from Test cricket. Off the field, he is married to actress Anushka Sharma, and the couple has two children.
In 2023, Virat Kohli made history by scoring his 21st ODI century in India and his 10th against Sri Lanka, both records. He surpassed Mahela Jayawardene to become the fifth-highest run-scorer in ODIs and partnered with KL Rahul for a record 233-run stand in the Asia Cup. Kohli became the fastest to reach 13,000 ODI runs in 267 innings. At the 2023 World Cup, he broke multiple records—scoring 765 runs with three centuries at an average of 95.62, earning him the Player of the Tournament award for a record third time.
He became the only player with 50 ODI centuries and the first to score 700 runs in a single World Cup. In 2024, he won Player of the Match in the T20 World Cup final and retired from T20Is. In 2025, he scored his 51st ODI century, became the fastest to 14,000 runs, and retired from Test cricket after the final match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.