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India is one of the most popular cricket playing countries in the world. With their long history with cricket, this nation has high regard for the sport that was introduced to them during the British colonization. Cricket is not just a sport to fans. For cricket fanatics in India, they worship the sport like religion. Every time a match is happening, people would huddle together, cheer, and bet on cricket match odds for their beloved team.

India cricket team is a mine of talented cricketers. Over the years, the team has produced some of the best cricketers in the world that continue to impress cricket fans from all over the world. One cricketer who is one of the most respected players of the Men In Blue is Virat Kohli. 

Just like any cricketer in the field, Virat didn’t have a smooth start with the sport. He had to train long and hard to achieve his prestigious position in India’s national team. 

Born on November 5th, 1988, Virat Kohli was born in Delhi. He is of Punjabi descent and belonged to an upper-middle-class family. Prem Kohli, Virat’s father, was a criminal lawyer, while his mother, Saroj Kohli, was a housewife. Lovingly called Cheeku by his parents, Kohli was a very active kid. He has an older sister, Bhavna, and an older brother, Vikas. 

At the age of three, Kohli had already exhibited talent in cricket. According to his family, three-year-old Kohli would lug around a cricket bat and asked his father to bowl for him. 

Raised in the city of Uttam Nagar, Kohli began his education in Vishal Bharti Public School. He entered the West Delhi Cricket Academy in 1998 and started to train hard for the sport. According to Kohli, their neighbours convinced his father to enrol him to a proper cricket school instead of wasting his time playing gully cricket. 

Under the tutelage of Rajkumar Sharma, Virat’s talent in cricket was harnessed. He played for matches in the Sumeet Dogra Academy as well as in Vasundhara Enclave. 

According to Sharma, Virat was an astounding player that had a real zest to succeed at the sport. 

‘He oozed talent. It was so difficult to keep him quiet. He was a natural in whatever he did and I was most impressed with his attitude. He was ready to bat at any spot, and I had to literally push him home after the training sessions. He just wouldn’t leave.’

Kohli’s life was comfortable and happy. While things were never lavish at the Kohli household, their family was always happy. Kohli, who is a very loving son, had a very close relationship with his father. 

However, life is always full of surprises and unexpected turns. In 2006, Prem Kohli suffered a stroke that resulted in his demise. With this unfortunate event, the family was facing all kinds of problems because they were renting a place and the family business was not doing well. 

However, the willing batsman never faltered during difficult times. A day after his father’s death, Virat marched to the field and faced Karnataka and saved his team.

In the same year, Kohli made his debut for Delhi during a match against Tamil Nadu. During the match, he was able to score a 10 for his debut innings. Kohli came into the limelight during a match against Karnataka. During that season, Kohli accumulated a total of 257 runs in 6 matches with an average of 36.71. 

Kohli made his debut in Twenty20 cricket in 2007. During this season, he ended the match as the highest run-getter. This was for the Inter-State T20 Championship. He finished with a whopping 179 runs at an average of 35.80. 

In July to August 2007, Kohli played for the U-19 tour against Sri Lanka. During this match, he was recorded as the second-highest run-getter with a score of 146 runs in 5 matches. After this achievement, he was able to score an impressive 244 runs at an average of 122 along with a century and a half-century during two Test matches. 

After his successive victories, Kohli made another record during the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup in 2008. He captained the team where he was able to score a whopping 235 runs in 6 matches. He also ended the match as the third-highest run-getter. 

His century during the match against West Indies U-19s was dubbed as the ‘innings of the tournament.’ 

Later that year, Kohli began his international cricket career for the tour of Sri Lanka and the Champions Trophy against Pakistan. During the tour in Sri Lanka, batsman Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag suffered an injury. Kohli then had to bat as the opener for the series. He made his international debut during the series and was out for 12. 

Kohli’s cricket journey was filled with many ups and downs. The current skipper of the India cricket team has proved that everything can be achieved through hard work and dedication. Now, Kolhi has won many awards and is listed as one of the most notable cricket players of the Indian cricket team. He is now married to actress Anushka Sharma, whom he married in 2017. 

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