If you’re talking cricket, you can’t skip Virat Kohli. The man’s a force of nature, a Delhi-born dynamo who’s spent the last decade and a half rewriting record books and breaking hearts usually those of opposing bowlers. As of March 17, 2025, he’s fresh off leading India to glory in the Champions Trophy, proving at 36 that he’s still got the fire to dominate. From captaining India’s Under-19s to a World Cup in 2008 to lifting the T20 World Cup trophy in 2024 and now this latest ICC silverware, Kohli’s journey is the stuff of legend. Let’s dive into what makes him tick, where he’s at today, and why he’s still the name on every cricket fan’s lips.
The Making of a Modern Great
Kohli’s story starts in West Delhi, born on November 5, 1988, to a middle-class family. His dad, Prem, was a criminal lawyer; his mom, Saroj, a homemaker. Young Virat was a cricket nut from the jump neighbors still talk about him smashing sixes with a plastic bat in the gullies. Tragedy hit early when he lost his dad to a stroke at 18, but that only steeled his resolve. By then, he’d already caught eyes at the West Delhi Cricket Academy, where coach Rajkumar Sharma saw a kid with grit and a killer cover drive.
His big break came in 2008, captaining India to the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia. He scored 235 runs, including a century in the semifinal, and bowlers like Trent Boult and Tim Southee future stars themselves couldn’t touch him. That win was a launchpad. Four months later, he was in India’s senior ODI team, debuting against Sri Lanka at 19. A lean patch followed, but by 2010, he was piling on runs, and in 2011, he was lifting the ODI World Cup with MS Dhoni’s squad his 35 in the final against Sri Lanka a quiet promise of what was to come.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Kohli’s stats are bonkers there’s no other word for it. As of today, he’s got 51 ODI centuries, more than anyone, ever. Sachin Tendulkar’s 49? In the rearview mirror since 2023. He’s racked up over 14,000 ODI runs at an average pushing 58, with a chase average of 64.50 that’s flat-out ridiculous Steve Smith called him “the best chaser the game has seen” after the Champions Trophy semifinal last week, and who’s arguing? In Tests, he’s got 9,030 runs, 29 hundreds, and a knack for digging India out of holes. T20Is? He retired from them after the 2024 World Cup win, bowing out with 4,188 runs and a Player of the Match in the final talk about a mic drop.
Then there’s the IPL. He’s been with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) since day one in 2008, the only player to stick with one franchise this long. Over 8,000 runs, eight centuries, countless screams into the Chinnaswamy crowd yet that trophy’s still elusive. Last season, 2024, he smashed 741 runs, won the Orange Cap, but RCB fell short again in the Eliminator. Fans still chant “Kohli, Kohli” like it’s a prayer, and today, March 17, thousands packed the stadium just to watch him in the nets. That’s the Kohli effect.
The Captain Who Conquered
Kohli’s not just a batsman he’s a leader. He took over India’s Test captaincy in 2014 after Dhoni stepped back, and by 2017, he was running all three formats. His record? Forty Test wins, the most by an Indian skipper, with series victories in Australia (twice!) and England that turned doubters into believers. He made India a fast-bowling machine Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma thrived under him and his fitness obsession reshaped the team. No more paunchy fielders; Kohli’s boys were lean, mean, and diving for everything.
In ODIs, he led India to the 2017 Champions Trophy final and won the 2018 Asia Cup. T20Is were trickier critics point to no ICC titles as captain there but he set the stage for Rohit Sharma’s 2024 T20 World Cup win. He stepped down as T20I captain in 2021, quit ODIs in 2022, and handed Test reins to Rohit later that year after a spat with the BCCI. Some say he was pushed; he says it was time. Either way, his 68 wins across formats as captain tell a story of a guy who didn’t just play he owned the game.
2025: Still the King
Fast forward to now, and Kohli’s on a high. The Champions Trophy wrapped last week in the UAE, and India beat New Zealand in the final by seven wickets. Kohli didn’t bat in the chase Rohit and KL Rahul knocked it off but his 84 off 76 balls in the semifinal against Australia was pure gold. Chasing 260, he walked in at 19/1, saw off Pat Cummins, and dismantled Josh Hazlewood with flicks and drives that had commentators purring. “He’s a freak,” Cummins said post-match. Kohli finished not out, steering India to a six-wicket win, and landed in the ICC’s Team of the Tournament. Smith’s “best chaser” tag stuck, and X lit up with fans calling it “vintage Virat.”
He nearly didn’t make that final. A knee tweak in the nets before the decider had physios scrambling, but he brushed it off, saying, “It’s just soreness I’m good.” Good? He was unstoppable. Post-tournament, he’s back in Bengaluru, prepping for IPL 2025. Today’s net session drew a crowd that spilled over the stands kids, uncles, aunties, all screaming his name. He obliged with selfies, a rare smile cracking that intense game face.
Beyond the Boundary
Off the pitch, Kohli’s life is as big as his game. He married Anushka Sharma, Bollywood’s darling, in 2017 after meeting her on a shampoo ad set. They’ve got two kids daughter Vamika, born 2021, and son Akaay, born 2024 and he’s been quieter on socials lately, soaking up dad time. Last month, he posted a cryptic X update “Grateful for every moment” sparking retirement whispers, but he squashed them at a presser: “Don’t get nervous I still love playing this game.” Anushka’s been at matches, cheering with Vamika in tow, and their vibe’s a fan favorite.
He’s got ventures, too restaurants, a fitness chain, millions from endorsements but cricket’s still his core. That knee scare aside, he’s fit as ever, still doing those shirt-off celebrations that send crowds wild. Critics wonder how long he’ll go Rohit’s 37 and slowing, youngsters like Yashasvi Jaiswal are knocking but Kohli’s hunger looks intact.
The Kohli Legacy
What sets him apart? It’s not just runs it’s how he makes them. That cover drive’s a work of art, his aggression’s a middle finger to bowlers, and his chases are surgical. He’s got Tendulkar’s records, Dhoni’s cool (sometimes), and a fire neither had. The 2014 Adelaide Test ton chasing 364, the 2016 T20 World Cup 82* against Australia, the 2022 Melbourne 82* to beat Pakistan moments that define him. He’s not perfect; he’s blown up at umpires, clashed with media, lost RCB finals. But that’s Kohli raw, real, relentless.Fans adore him. On X, posts like “Virat’s the GOAT, no debate” flood timelines daily.
Detractors mostly rival fans nitpick his temper or IPL drought, but even they can’t deny the numbers. In India, he’s a god; abroad, he’s respected, feared, idolized. Australian crowds boo him, then clap him off classic love-hate.What’s Next?IPL 2025’s around the corner, and RCB’s banking on him. Another Orange Cap’s likely, but the title? That’s the dream. Internationally, he’s got Tests in England this summer and maybe an ODI World Cup in 2027 he’d be 38, but don’t bet against him. Retirement? He’s dodging it, but when it comes, it’ll be seismic.For now, Virat Kohli’s still king. The Champions Trophy’s in the bag, the bat’s still swinging, and the crowd’s still roaring. Cricket’s lucky to have him and he’s not done yet.
The Making of a Modern Great
Kohli’s story starts in West Delhi, born on November 5, 1988, to a middle-class family. His dad, Prem, was a criminal lawyer; his mom, Saroj, a homemaker. Young Virat was a cricket nut from the jump neighbors still talk about him smashing sixes with a plastic bat in the gullies. Tragedy hit early when he lost his dad to a stroke at 18, but that only steeled his resolve. By then, he’d already caught eyes at the West Delhi Cricket Academy, where coach Rajkumar Sharma saw a kid with grit and a killer cover drive.
His big break came in 2008, captaining India to the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia. He scored 235 runs, including a century in the semifinal, and bowlers like Trent Boult and Tim Southee future stars themselves couldn’t touch him. That win was a launchpad. Four months later, he was in India’s senior ODI team, debuting against Sri Lanka at 19. A lean patch followed, but by 2010, he was piling on runs, and in 2011, he was lifting the ODI World Cup with MS Dhoni’s squad his 35 in the final against Sri Lanka a quiet promise of what was to come.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Kohli’s stats are bonkers there’s no other word for it. As of today, he’s got 51 ODI centuries, more than anyone, ever. Sachin Tendulkar’s 49? In the rearview mirror since 2023. He’s racked up over 14,000 ODI runs at an average pushing 58, with a chase average of 64.50 that’s flat-out ridiculous Steve Smith called him “the best chaser the game has seen” after the Champions Trophy semifinal last week, and who’s arguing? In Tests, he’s got 9,030 runs, 29 hundreds, and a knack for digging India out of holes. T20Is? He retired from them after the 2024 World Cup win, bowing out with 4,188 runs and a Player of the Match in the final talk about a mic drop.
Then there’s the IPL. He’s been with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) since day one in 2008, the only player to stick with one franchise this long. Over 8,000 runs, eight centuries, countless screams into the Chinnaswamy crowd yet that trophy’s still elusive. Last season, 2024, he smashed 741 runs, won the Orange Cap, but RCB fell short again in the Eliminator. Fans still chant “Kohli, Kohli” like it’s a prayer, and today, March 17, thousands packed the stadium just to watch him in the nets. That’s the Kohli effect.
The Captain Who Conquered
Kohli’s not just a batsman he’s a leader. He took over India’s Test captaincy in 2014 after Dhoni stepped back, and by 2017, he was running all three formats. His record? Forty Test wins, the most by an Indian skipper, with series victories in Australia (twice!) and England that turned doubters into believers. He made India a fast-bowling machine Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma thrived under him and his fitness obsession reshaped the team. No more paunchy fielders; Kohli’s boys were lean, mean, and diving for everything.
In ODIs, he led India to the 2017 Champions Trophy final and won the 2018 Asia Cup. T20Is were trickier critics point to no ICC titles as captain there but he set the stage for Rohit Sharma’s 2024 T20 World Cup win. He stepped down as T20I captain in 2021, quit ODIs in 2022, and handed Test reins to Rohit later that year after a spat with the BCCI. Some say he was pushed; he says it was time. Either way, his 68 wins across formats as captain tell a story of a guy who didn’t just play he owned the game.
2025: Still the King
Fast forward to now, and Kohli’s on a high. The Champions Trophy wrapped last week in the UAE, and India beat New Zealand in the final by seven wickets. Kohli didn’t bat in the chase Rohit and KL Rahul knocked it off but his 84 off 76 balls in the semifinal against Australia was pure gold. Chasing 260, he walked in at 19/1, saw off Pat Cummins, and dismantled Josh Hazlewood with flicks and drives that had commentators purring. “He’s a freak,” Cummins said post-match. Kohli finished not out, steering India to a six-wicket win, and landed in the ICC’s Team of the Tournament. Smith’s “best chaser” tag stuck, and X lit up with fans calling it “vintage Virat.”
He nearly didn’t make that final. A knee tweak in the nets before the decider had physios scrambling, but he brushed it off, saying, “It’s just soreness I’m good.” Good? He was unstoppable. Post-tournament, he’s back in Bengaluru, prepping for IPL 2025. Today’s net session drew a crowd that spilled over the stands kids, uncles, aunties, all screaming his name. He obliged with selfies, a rare smile cracking that intense game face.
Beyond the Boundary
Off the pitch, Kohli’s life is as big as his game. He married Anushka Sharma, Bollywood’s darling, in 2017 after meeting her on a shampoo ad set. They’ve got two kids daughter Vamika, born 2021, and son Akaay, born 2024 and he’s been quieter on socials lately, soaking up dad time. Last month, he posted a cryptic X update “Grateful for every moment” sparking retirement whispers, but he squashed them at a presser: “Don’t get nervous I still love playing this game.” Anushka’s been at matches, cheering with Vamika in tow, and their vibe’s a fan favorite.
He’s got ventures, too restaurants, a fitness chain, millions from endorsements but cricket’s still his core. That knee scare aside, he’s fit as ever, still doing those shirt-off celebrations that send crowds wild. Critics wonder how long he’ll go Rohit’s 37 and slowing, youngsters like Yashasvi Jaiswal are knocking but Kohli’s hunger looks intact.
The Kohli Legacy
What sets him apart? It’s not just runs it’s how he makes them. That cover drive’s a work of art, his aggression’s a middle finger to bowlers, and his chases are surgical. He’s got Tendulkar’s records, Dhoni’s cool (sometimes), and a fire neither had. The 2014 Adelaide Test ton chasing 364, the 2016 T20 World Cup 82* against Australia, the 2022 Melbourne 82* to beat Pakistan moments that define him. He’s not perfect; he’s blown up at umpires, clashed with media, lost RCB finals. But that’s Kohli raw, real, relentless.Fans adore him. On X, posts like “Virat’s the GOAT, no debate” flood timelines daily.
Detractors mostly rival fans nitpick his temper or IPL drought, but even they can’t deny the numbers. In India, he’s a god; abroad, he’s respected, feared, idolized. Australian crowds boo him, then clap him off classic love-hate.What’s Next?IPL 2025’s around the corner, and RCB’s banking on him. Another Orange Cap’s likely, but the title? That’s the dream. Internationally, he’s got Tests in England this summer and maybe an ODI World Cup in 2027 he’d be 38, but don’t bet against him. Retirement? He’s dodging it, but when it comes, it’ll be seismic.For now, Virat Kohli’s still king. The Champions Trophy’s in the bag, the bat’s still swinging, and the crowd’s still roaring. Cricket’s lucky to have him and he’s not done yet.
