Virat Kohli
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Profile
Dec 28 2014
CAPTAIN COOLER
AVIJIT GHOSH
His batting and captaincy are on fire, yet he is chilled enough to blow his girlfriend a kiss from the pitch and spell his fashion label Wrogn. Both on the field and off, Virat Kohli's got game, and that's why he scores
It first happened in 1960, before a packed Brabourne Stadium in Bombay. Abbas Ali Baig had just reached a Test half-century against Australia when an audacious Ms Bhatt ran to the pitch and rewarded the dapper batsman with a kiss before gasping spectators. Since that cheeky act, cricketers in India have often been objects of PDA.
But last month, when the Kiss of Love protests rocked the nation, Virat Kohli added a new dimension to this rolling playbook of love. The Delhi batsman sent a flying kiss off his bat to actor-girlfriend Anushka Sharma sitting in the VIP gallery during an ODI match against Sri Lanka at Hyderabad. No Indian cricketer had so openly demonstrated his ardour before though Pataudi, Ravi Shastri and Mohammad Azharuddin all had famous girlfriends. But the 26-year-old cricketer wasn't just breaking norms; in the same innings, he reached 6,000 runs in just 136 ODI innings, a new world record.
The Times of India
The gesture underlined two traits. One, a willing ness to change and evolve.
Not long ago, the Delhi batter could only express elation with crude references to mothers and sisters. Second, he seemed to be a firm believer in what Frank Sinatra sang an era ago, “I did it my way.“
In a sense, Kohli encapsulates the best and brightest of a generation bred in post-liberalization India: tattooed and teeming with attitude but setting and achieving the highest of benchmarks.
On the last day of the Adelaide Test, when Australia set India a target of 363, that's exactly what was on display. Most captains would have plumped for a draw.But Kohli, a stand-in skipper, aimed for Mission Impossible. Revelling under pressure, he led the way with an assault that had India agog. His career-best 141 took his cumulative runs in the match to 256, eclipsing the previous highest by a Test captain on debut: Kiwi Graham Dowling's 244 against India in 1967-68. The Delhi batter had smashed 115 in the first innings after being struck on the helmet by paceman Mitchell Johnson. India lost. But as the dominant tweeple sentiment suggested, it was more satisfying than a draw. “A draw was never an option,“ he said later.
It was widely believed that Kohli was born to lead, and Adelaide showed his time has come. 2015 could well witness the end of the Dhoni regime and mark the beginning of the Kohli era.
On Twitter, he is already India's sportsman No 1. With 4.92 million followers, he has crossed Sachin's 4.88. Kohli seems to have a natural aptitude for social media, often mixing business with pleasure: wishing happy birthday to friend and brother Gabbar (Shikhar Dhawan), plugging RCB boss Sid Mallya's asinine video or promoting Wrogn, his breakaway youth fashion brand irreverently spelt wrongly . His Facebook page has a staggering 19.1 million likes.
Which is why in its annual list for 2014, London-based magazine SportsPro called Kohli the second most marketable sportsperson in the world.
He is already enjoying the perks of being a star player and his ads often trade on his bad boy cool quotient. He is the rakish Lothario with love marks on his neck (Fastrack), the dude asking for a girl's phone number (Celkon mobile) or just the guy who eyes the girl at the gym (Axe).
For Kohli, the reel and real have almost coalesced. Two English women cricketers have been hitting on him via Twitter and in 2012, in Hobart, Tasmania, a female fan put up a poster saying, “Offer still stands Kohli, my place tonight.“ He confessed later on TV , `'I didn't take up the offer“.
Since his international debut in 2008, what has separated Kohli from the rest is his ability to win matches almost singlehandedly in ODIs and T20s. His approach is goal-oriented. For him, batting is about getting your country beyond the line, preferably without any last-over heroics. He is yet to master the moving ball but his wristwork, arguably the finest in India since VVS, has been key to his 13 tons in winning chases; second only to Tendulkar's 14. That he has excelled in all three formats underlines his ability to adapt.Over the years, almost everyone in world cricket has endorsed him. But the finest validation came from Sir Vivian Richards, who said, “I love his aggression and se rious passion. He re minds me of myself.“
At 17, Kohli came out to bat in a Ranji game against Karna taka the day after his father passed away . He took his team to safety with a 90 before attend ing the funeral. He has said, “If you are dedicated to something, nothing should distract you. Whenever I get stuck in a bad situation, I still think of that day, my most difficult moment, to get out of it.“
Virat Kohli has been rightly ordained as the future of Indian cricket. And the future is now.
Brand value
2017: no. 7 in world
Howzat! Virat's brand value estimated to be greater than Messi's, Oct 27 2017: The Times of India
From: Howzat! Virat's brand value estimated to be greater than Messi's, Oct 27 2017: The Times of India
Indian captain Virat Kohli's rise as cricket's global superstar is reflecting in his earnings as well.
After pocketing a Rs 110crore deal with sports apparel giant Puma earlier this year, Kohli, 28, has now been named among the world's top 10 athletes with the `highest brand value', ahead of football legend Lionel Messi.
According to the list, published by Forbes magazine, Kohli's estimated brand value has been pegged at $14.5 million, which puts him at seventh position.
The Barcelona icon is at the ninth position with a total brand value of $13.5 million.
Kohli made his maiden entry into the list, in which he is the only cricketer.
Controversies
TALKING UGLY
The Times of India Mar 04 2015
VIRAT KOHLI'S diatribe against a media person in Perth on Tuesday wasn't the first time the cricketer has let his anger get the better of him. TOI looks back at past such incidents involving the Delhi batsman...
IT'S KOHLI VS GAMBHIR (APRIL, 2013)
A verbal duel between KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir and Kohli (in pic) during their IPL clash took fans by surprise. As Gambhir and other players walked towards the cover region to celebrate the RCB skipper's dismissal, Kohli, instead of walking back to the pavilion, charged towards Gambhir and made a remark after which all hell broke loose.
ALTERCATION WITH PHOTOGRAPHERS (OCT, 2009)
Kohli got involved in a spat with photographers at Jamtha (Nagpur) just before the start of India's ODI against Australia. As he was training, one of his shots almost hit a camera belonging to a photographer who, along with other cameramen, was sitting behind the advertisement hoardings.Kohli paid little heed to their request to train somewhere else, leading to a verbal free-for-all.
THE INFAMOUS MIDDLE FINGER (JAN, 2012)
Angry at an abusive group of spectators at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Kohli stuck out his middle finger at the hecklers on the second day of the India-Australia Test. Kohli later defended himself on Twitter, saying, “I agree cricketers don't have to retaliate. What when the crowd says the worst things about your mother and sister? the worst I've heard (sic).“
YELLING AT WANKHEDE (APRIL, 2013)
In a tense IPL game against hosts Mumbai Indians, Kohli lost his cool after being targetted by a section of the crowd and retaliated by giving it back. Speaking after the game which his team lost, the RCB captain rued that the spectators had forgotten that he also represented their country.“It feels a bit weird because at the end of the day you play for India and you don't come here to be hated.“
Contribution in ODI
[ From the archives of the Times of India]
Avijit Ghosh TNN
BETTER THAN THE BEST
Virat Kohli has scored more runs than Brian Lara, Dean Jones, Ricky Ponting, Michael Bevan, M S Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Viv Richards after same number of games (85 ODIs)
At this stage, Kohli has scored 11 centuries. Nobody even comes close; Lara (5) and Ponting (5) being next Among them, his strike rate of 86.31 is third only to Dhoni’s 96.26 and Richards’s 86.99. And his average (50.56) is second only to Bevan’s 56.54 WONDER BOY Virat always looks in control of the situation NewDelhi: Statistics suggest that Virat Kohli is the best ODI batsman in the world now. It isn’t just the runs he has scored so far; it is also the manner and situation in which he has fetched them. Out of his 11 centuries, 10 have come in winning causes; seven of them in a run chase. Thanks to him, run chases are no longer nervous affairs for India. And he seems to shun last-over heroics; Kohli prefers to finish early and in style. Only one thing jars: that his celebration seems incomplete without reference to mothers and sisters. Once set, Kohli seems to always be in control. He seems to bring his leadership skills even to batting. His strokeplay is cultured; slogs are rare. There’s plenty of wristwork on display and power too. Kohli prefers to play along the ground but is not averse to the lofted stroke. And he plays the pull with poise. On Sunday, he was the only Indian batsman who read Saeed Ajmal. Barring one delivery that was edged for four, he had an answer to every doosra or teesra that the Pakistan spinner offered.
Before the Australia tour, most experts had put their money on Rohit Sharma as the one more likely to succeed. Kohli proved them wrong, being the faster adapter and quicker learner. Ever since he made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in August 2008, Kohli has grown and evolved beyond recognition. As an 18-year-old, Kohli came to bat for Delhi on the day his father passed away because his team needed him. He scored 90 and steered his team to safety against Karnataka before he fell to a poor umpiring decision. Even at that age, Kohli stood out for his amazing commitment and rare temperament.
Kohli is many things to many people. For the cricket fan, he is a future India captain. For media managers, he is that special face that can sell a million hair gels and mobile phones. For teenage girls, he is the pin-up of their dreams. Kohli is reaching for the stars and corporates for the cheque book.
Earnings
World's third-most marketable player, 2016
The Times of India, May 27, 2016
Virat Kohli is ahead of the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar in the latest list of the world's most marketable sportspersons.
In a survey published by SportsPro media, Kohli is behind the NBA's `Most Valuable Player' Stephen Curry and Juventus' French international Paul Pogba.
World No. 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic is 23rd on the list, followed by Messi at 27th and Usain Bolt at 31.
The only other Indian in the top 50 is tennis star Sania Mirza, at No. 43.
Athletes from across the world have been ranked according to their marketing potential over a three-year period.
The criteria included six parameters: value for money, age, home market potential, charisma, willingness to be marketed, crossover appeal
Family
Marriage
A statement released by the family announcing the wedding said: We are very happy to announce that Ms. Anushka Sharma and Mr. Virat Kohli got married at a private ceremony in Italy, today. The wedding was attended by close family and a few friends as they wished their wedding to be a very private affair. The wedding was performed as per Hindu rituals. Top fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee has designed the wedding ensemble for both the bride and the groom. Virat and Anushka will now start inviting all industry friends and colleagues for the celebrations that are set to happen in Mumbai.
The couple will be hosting a reception in New Delhi for their relatives on 21st December which will be followed by a reception for industry friends and cricketers in Mumbai on 26th December.
The newly wed couple will travel to South Africa where Virat will start prepping for the upcoming series and Anushka will spend New Year's Eve with him and return in the first week of January to begin the next schedule of Anand L Rai's film with Shah Rukh Khan in Mumbai. She will also start prepping for Sui Dhaaga as the shooting for the same starts in February 2018 with Varun Dhawan. Anushka will also be busy with the marketing and promotions of Pari which is releasing on 9th February.
Virat, on the other hand, will be playing the series in South Africa for 2 months which includes three Tests, six One Day Internationals (ODIs) and three Twenty20 International (T20I) matches. Post their wedding the newly wed couple will be shifting to their new residence in Worli, Mumbai in December once they return from Delhi.
Their spokesperson said, "We are extremely grateful to the media for their support and understanding in making this special occasion a memorable one and thank them for their continued love and support." Earlier today evening, Filmfare had reported that the power couple has tied the knot in a private ceremony in Milan, Italy. An insider told Filmfare that the ceremony took place earlier this morning amidst close family and friends.
Personal glimpses
2018/ 19: Turns vegetarian
He used to be a chubby-faced youngster with a special fondness for biryani. But those days are far behind him as Virat Kohli’s remarkable fitness transformation continues with his decision to go vegan.
TOI has learned the Indian cricket captain decided to stay away from animal protein four months ago and feels it has helped his game. Kohli’s current diet includes protein shakes, vegetables and soya. He has given up eggs and dairy products. “Kohli started this diet four months ago and is feeling stronger as his digestive power has increased. He isn’t missing meat, eggs or dairy,” sources said, insisting Kohli’s diet has had a calming effect on his temperament.
Kohli’s wife, Anushka Sharma, turned vegetarian around the same time, but Kohli had planned the change in advance. “Two years ago, when he was on a normal diet, he had said that he would go vegan if given a choice. He is now feeling stronger than before,” sources said.
Improved after realising he was overweight
MELBOURNE: Australian cricketers were so keen on protecting their lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) deals that they felt "scared" of sledging India captain Virat Kohli and his teammates during a particular period and instead "sucked up" to them, former skipper Michael Clarke has claimed.
India and Australia have had some memorable bilateral duels but Clarke felt that whenever the Australians would face India, their eyes would be trained on the cash-rich league which is played in April-May every year.
"Everybody knows how powerful India are in regards to the financial part of the game, internationally or domestically with the IPL," Clarke told Big Sports Breakfast.
"I feel that Australian cricket, and probably every other team over a little period, went the opposite and actually sucked up to India. They were too scared to sledge Kohli or the other Indian players because they had to play with them in April (in the IPL)," the World Cup winning Australian skipper said dropping a bombshell.
Clarke believes that some of Australia's ruthless on-field character was compromised because the top-10 draws at the IPL auctions gave an impression that they would never sledge Kohli.
"Name a list of ten players and they are bidding for these Australian players to get into their IPL team," he said.
"The players were like: 'I'm not going to sledge Kohli, I want him to pick me for Bangalore, so I can make my USD 1 million for my six weeks'.
"I feel like that's where Australia went through that little phase where our cricket become a little bit softer or not as hard as we're accustomed to seeing," Clarke said about the time after the ball-tampering scandal, when terms like 'elite honesty' were propagated.
India and Australia have always enjoyed a fiery on-field chemistry with the two teams engaging in many verbal wars in the past, which include the tours of Down Under in 2007-08 and 2018.
The infamous 'Monkey gate' in 2008 is considered the lowest point in the history of cricket between the two powerhouses.
Worst performances
On tour
Till 2020 March
From: March 2, 2020: The Times of India
See graphic:
Kohli’s Worst performances in tests and other formats, Till 2020 March
Rankings
Boria Majumdar , Virat and his contemporaries “India Today” 8/1/2018
See graphic
Records, statistics, year-wise
2014
The lowest point of his career till 2020
NEW DELHI: India skipper Virat Kohli has said that the 2014 Test series against England was the lowest point of his career. He made the revelation during a candid Instagram Live session with former England batsman Kevin Pietersen.
To date, the 2014 Test series in England remains one of the worst Test series for Kohli as he averaged just 13.40 from 10 innings with his highest score being 39.
"I felt like as a batsman, you know you are going to get out in the morning as soon as you wake up. That was the time I felt like that there is no chance I am getting runs. And still to get out of bed and just get dressed for the game and to go out there and go through that, knowing that you will fail, was something that ate me up," Kohli told Pietersen.
However, just four years later, Kohli made a triumphant return to England as he scored a century in the opening Test of the 2018 series and finished as the highest run-getter in the series.
Kohli told Pietersen that the performance in 2014 came because he was just thinking about his own batting.
"2014 series happened, for all the younger guys listening, because I was too focused on doing well from a personal point of view. I wanted to get runs. I could never think of what does the team want me to do in this situation," Kohli said.
"I just got too engulfed with England tour - if I perform here, Test cricket, in my mind I am going to feel established and all that crap on the outside, which is not important at all," he added.
During the chat, Kohli talked about his favourite format in cricket and he also revealed the main reason for turning into a vegan.
2015
His achievements till May
The Times of India, May 9, 2015
He is the current superstar of India cricket. Dubbed as the `chase master' in ODIs, 12 of his 22 centuries have been in a winning cause and all this aged just 26. Kohli has been elevated to Test captaincy as well this year and will be expected to lead Team India into the next era.Loud and brash, he is never ready to take a step backwards but lets his willow do the talking most of the time.Adding to his ODI achievements, Kohli also has 10 centuries in just 33 Tests.
Dec: partnerships
See graphic: Kohli's top partnership-aggregate in terms of averages, till 2015 Dec
2016
Highlights
Kohli hit three centuries and four half-centuries in the calendar year.
Kohli amassed 739 runs from just 10 ODIs played this year.
ANDERSON'S SOUR DIG AT KOHLI
Pacer James Anderson chose to play down Virat Kohli's double ton in Mumbai by saying that the Indian skipper's technical deficiencies, which England had exposed during the 2014 series back home, were not at display here on India pitches, which lacked movement and bounce.Though Kohli ignored the jibe by choosing not to play `sarcastic mind games', Anderson got a mouthful from spinner R Ashwin, who gave him a valuable pep talk on the importance of `accepting defeat'.
Till Nov: 500-plus totals against India
[http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Gallery.aspx?id=11_11_2016_029_014_011&type=P&artUrl=AFTER-ALI-BEN-STOKES-THE-FIRE-11112016029014&eid=31808 The Times of India]
See graphic, 500-plus totals against India under Kohli, till 10 Nov 2016
Dec 2016: Kohli takes India to the top
March 2008: A brash Del hi boy ran around in circles, shouting “come on“ till his voice choked after India won the under-19 World Cup under his captaincy in Kuala Lumpur. Detractors shook their head at his “theatrics“.
December 2014: Stand-in captain Kohli led a charge at an improbable target of 364 against Australia. India shunned the option of a draw and lost by 48 runs. Critics hailed his innings but wondered if he was needlessly aggressive.
Cut to the present. Having led India to an unassailable 3-0 lead over England, Kohli's evolution from precocious talent to reigning colossus seems complete. The fourth Test in Mumbai saw the three dimensions of Kohli shine through the batsman, the captain and the cricket statesman, even if he is only 28. He broke England's back with a superlative 235, his third double ton since July; never let the visitors breathe easy with his pro-active and clear-headed captaincy , and made a sagacious intervention to douse the fires when Ashwin got into a spat with Anderson over comments the English pacer had made about Kohli himself.
With Kohli has come a new culture into Team India where skill, attitude, ambition and prudence merge to make for a potent cocktail. With coach Anil Kumble lending considerable weight as a teacher, tactician and motivator, Kohli has gone about fashioning a bunch of talented, fearless yet thoughtful cricketers who relish a challenge. It's interesting to note that while Kohli has trimmed his own strokeplay to help him make daddy hundreds in Tests, he hasn't ever asked the youngsters in his team do the same, allowing them to dare and dream.Because, at their age and situation, he was the same. Most importantly , Kohli has taken the team out of a primarily defensive mindset which used to bedevil our cricket like a shackle. One hopes, it stays this way .
Everything he does on the field makes it obvious that Virat has matured and has much better control over himself as a player and as a person. He has worked hard at it. The best part, though, is that he has not let his growing maturity in any way dull a rather primal competitive urge in him. In fact, he has now become a more formidable adversary as a player and captain and the biggest threat bowlers around the world face today .
First batman to have 50 plus in all 3 formats
Please see graphics
2016: an exciting year
Dwaipayan Datta, The Virat 2016: It's a pity that the year is out, Dec 12, 2016: The Times of India
Virat Kohli's 235 at Wankhede rekindled some memories. It was January 2012 and India were getting hammered by Australia Down Under. In the fourth Test in Adelaide, the feisty Delhi lad completed a century -the first by an Indian on that tour -and celebrated as if there was no tomorrow. The Aussies appreciated his effort, but they knew immediately that in his exuberance, Kohli might have lost his focus.It didn't take them too long to dismiss him and a 4-0 walloping was just a matter of time.
Cut to December 2016. Kohli does his trademark fist pumping after completing another crucial century on a difficult wicket in Mumbai, but that's about it. He knows his job is just half done and what transpires over the two-and-a-half sessions is a masterclass in batting which culminates into Kohli's third double century of the year.
Before this home season began, the world had already acknowledged Kohli as the best limitedovers cricketer in business. While Indians would have liked to believe that he was already the best across all formats, many still felt England's Joe Root or Australia skipper Steve Smith were a notch better, at least when it came to Test cricket.It had to do with their superior averages, but for Kohli this was a challenge. Just as another was not to be overburdened by pressure of captaincy .
“There are players who love to take responsibility in adverse situations. Kohli is one of those,“ Krish Srikkanth, who was the chairman of selec tors when Kohli made his Test debut, told TOI.“When we selected him for Tests back in 2011, there was criticism, but we could see the obvious talent and his ability to rise to the occasion,“ added Srikkanth Kohli was steadily making the most of his talent, but the most defining moment of his career happened in South Africa in 2013 when he became the natural heir to Sachin Tendulkar at India's natural No. 4, just after the master had retired. It was clear that nobody better than Kohli could shoulder the responsibility . Big centuries followed, Test captaincy came to him in a year's time, and Kohli kept blossoming.
“I have seen Kohli from a young age. Below the facade of flamboyance, there's a very responsible boy . He knows he is in great form and this is the time to maximize. More so, his team needs bigger contributions than just the landmark of a century ,“ NCA batting coach WV Raman said.
James Anderson set the cat among the pigeons when he said, albeit a bit sourly: “I am not sure if he (Kohli) has changed. The wickets just take that (technical deficiencies) out of the equation.“
But even Anderson will realise it's not easy to score these daddy hundreds, especially in humid Indian conditions. It all comes down to Kohli's ability to stay fit at the crease and not get men tally fatigued -a result of a new new-found obsession for training and become super-fit.
Kohli changed his diet midway through his international career, something that Novak Djokovic famously did to achieve excellence. “That's what Kohli is. He monitors himself so meticulously that you can't imagine,“ Raman said.
If his ability to concentrate long and hard at Wankhede over the weekend was a delight, his self-restraint, whereby cutting out lofted shots was another striking aspect. The T20 batsman who hits sixes at will in the IPL, hardly played anything in the air and struck his first and lone -over-boundary of the innings after completing the double ton. But Raman doesn't feel it's unnatural. “You look at Kohli's progression in T20s.He wasn't the six-hitter that he is today when he started off. But he became so in the course of time, because the situation demanded it. But take a close look at the brilliant chase against Australia in the T20 World Cup earlier in the year, there's hardly anything in the air,“ Raman said.
Class and adaptability -the recipe for greatness which makes even historian Ramachandra Guha, a self-proclaimed T20 hater, say: “This boy , Virat Kohli, makes me watch cricket these days“.Guha is not alone. Kohli is is bringing the crowds to the stadiums -T20s or Test cricket.
2017
The world’s best cricketer, captain
From: ICC crowns Virat samrat, names him player of 2017, January 19, 2018: The Times of India
See graphic:
Kohli’s batting statistics from September 21, 2016 to the end of December 2017
Presence in Dharamsala, India vs Australia
When Indian captain Virat Kohli became waterboym The Times of India, March 25, 2017
See graphic:
Virat Kohli’s records, as in November 2017
From: November 21, 2017: The Times of India
Being injured did not stop skipper Virat Kohli from being there for his boys on the field as they took on Australia in the fourth deciding Test in Dharamsala.
During the drinks break, Kohli could be seen trotting out onto the field laden with drinks for his teammates, which earned him a resounding applause from the stadium and the commentators went gaga.
"Look at who has got the 'paani' for everybody.12th man Virat Kohli," said former Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar.
Former Australia pacer Brett Lee, who is also commentating quipped saying, "this is fantastic. He must be the most expensive drinks man in the world!" The development caught the internet by storm and the love began to pour in on Twitter from fans and cricketers alike.
Kohli also made a second entry into the field later with drinks and was seen having a few words with debutant Kuldeep Yadav, who had just scalped the wicket of David Warner. Australia were 131 for 1 against India in their fourth cricket Test at Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh, at lunch.
Opener Warner, 54 and Captain Smith, 72 were at crease. For India, Umesh Yadav took the lone wicket of Renshaw, who went out at one. Earlier, Australian captain Steve Smith won the toss and elected to bat.
Post lunch, India took two quick wickets to strengthen their hold as Kuldeep claimed Warner and Shawn Marsh fell to Umesh Yadav to reduce the hosts for 153/3.
Ajinkya Rahane is leading India in the deciding Test as Virat Kohli was ruled out following a shoulder injury, causing a major blow to the hosts.
ICC Champions Trophy: 8000 run mark in ODI
ICC Champions Trophy: Virat Kohli becomes fastest to 8000 ODI runs, Jun 15, 2017: The Times of India
HIGHLIGHTS
Kohli surpassed AB de Villiers' mark in seven fewer innings
Kohli crossed the 8000-run mark in his 175th innings
India captain Virat Kohli has become the quickest batsman to 8000 runs in one-day international cricket, beating AB de Villiers' mark in seven fewer innings. Kohli crossed the 8000-run mark in his 175th innings, during the course of his unbeaten 96 off 78 deliveries against Bangladesh in ICC Champions Trophy semi-final in Birmingham.
South African captain de Villiers needed 182 innings to get to 8000 runs in August 2015, beating Sourav Ganguly's previous record of 200 innings. In 2002, Ganguly had gone past Sachin Tendulkar's mark of 210 innings, entering the 8000 club in his 200th innings.
Earlier this year, South Africa opener Hashim Amla had broken Kohli's record of being the quickest to 7000 runs in ODIs, getting there in his 150th innings. Kohli had taken 166 to do so. Amla is also the fastest to 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000 and 6000 runs. Amla, 34, is currently at 7186 runs in 153 ODI innings.
On the back of Rohit Sharma's 123 not out and Kohli's unbeaten 96, India booked their place in Sunday's Champions Trophy final against Pakistan at Kennington Oval. This was Kohli's 42nd ODI half-century.
Fastest to 9000 ODI runs
Virat Kohli becomes fastest batsman to score 9000 ODI runs, October 29, 2017: The Times of India
HIGHLIGHTS
Kohli has become the 19th batsman to breach the 9000-run mark, making him the fastest to get there
Dhoni had reached the milestone last year while other Indians who have done so are Sachin, Dravid, Ganguly, Azharuddin
He had surpassed Ponting in the list of most ODI hundreds with his 31st ton
Virat Kohli became the sixth Indian and the fastest to complete 9000 ODI runs during the series-deciding third game against New Zealand.
Kohli got to the landmark in the 37th over when he guided one off Grandhomme towards the third man for a four. He went on to score his 32nd ODI century off 96 balls and eventually got out on 113. His 106-ball knock was studded with nine fours and a six.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni had reached the milestone last year while other Indians who have done so are Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Mohammad Azharuddin.
Another milestone was reaching his 49th international century surpassing Rahul Dravid (48 tons). He is second among Indian batsmen in terms of international hundreds after Sachin Tendulkar (100 tons).
Overall, Kohli, who played his 202nd match and 194th innings on Sunday, has become the 19th batsman to breach the 9000-run mark, making him the fastest to get there.
Earlier in the series, the Indian captain had surpassed Australian great Ricky Ponting in the list of most ODI hundreds with his 31st ton.
Tendulkar tops the list with 49 hundreds and he is also the leading run-getter in the format.
Kohli had a quiet series against the Australians by his standards but he is back to his best against the Black Caps.
December 2017/ 1st captain in Test history to hit hundreds in 3 successive innings TWICE
December 3, 2017: The Times of India
AT KOTLA, A VIRAT WORLD RECORD
Kohli becomes the 1st captain in Test history to hit hundreds in 3 successive innings TWICE — against Australia in 2014-15 (115 & 141 in Adelaide and 147 in Sydney) & vs Sri Lanka (104* in Kolkata, 213 in Nagpur & 156* in Delhi) No other Indian captain has done it even once; other skippers to have done it once include Don Bradman
Kohli has taken 105 innings to score 5,000 Test runs, 4th quickest Indian. Gavaskar on top (95 innings)
He has hit 5 centuries in one calendar year — 2017 — for the first time in his Test career. Kohli hit 156* and Vijay 155 as India scored 371/4 on Day 1 of Delhi Test
December 2017/ other records
Partha Bhaduri, December 4, 2017: The Times of India
Kohli smashes 243, becomes 1st player to post 6 double centuries as captain, crossing Brian Lara’s 5 (3 December 2017)
243- Kohli’s career-best knock is the highest individual innings in Tests at the Kotla, surpassing Bert Sutcliffe’s 230 not out for New Zealand vs India in December 1955. Vinod Kambli’s 227 off 301 balls vs Zimbabwe in March 1993 was the previous highest by an Indian batsman at this venue.(3 December 2017)
560- Kohli’s runaggregate (ave.186.66) is the highest by an Indian in a three-Test series, overhauling Virender Sehwag’s 544 (ave.90.66), including two hundreds vs Pakistan in India in 2004-05. (3 December 2017)
13- Kohli is the second Indian batsman after Vinoo Mankad (vs New Zealand in 1955-56) and the 13th overall to record two innings of 200-plus in the same Test series. Don Bradman had accomplished the feat four times, including three innings of 200-plus vs England in 1930. (3 December 2017)
2018
2018, in brief
December 29, 2018: The Times of India
From: December 29, 2018: The Times of India
In 2018, the legend of Kohli took firm root. Not content with being just an outstanding accumulator of runs, Virat Kohli in 2018 planted his bat firmly on genius territory. The Indian captain continued defying the law of averages to notch up some incredible numbers, in the process providing India a backbone and giving opposition bowlers the headache to beat all headaches. His natural abrasiveness on the field might put some off, but with bat in hand he was rarely anything but sublime. Here are just some of the peaks only the Indian captain scaled this year. It sure is lonely at the top...
Top two of his finest performance
HAPPY PERTH DAY
The pitch for the first-ever Test at the Optus Stadium wasn’t a minefield but it had its share of uneven bounce. When Kohli walked in, India were 8/2, with Australia’s pacers breathing fire. However, Kohli isn’t the world’s best for nothing. Playing in his 75th Test, he produced arguably one of his best hundreds, cracking 123 off 214 balls, including 11 fours, in a knock for the ages. It was a combined effort of skill, patience and intense determination. It was his sixth ton in Australia — only Sachin Tendulkar has hit as many Down Under.
TON OF EDGBASTON
Kohli had fared miserably on the 2014 tour of England, managing just 134 runs in five Tests, and it was time to make amends. In the first Test at Edgbaston, Kohli kept losing partners but retained his composure, leaving balls outside the off stump and scoring runs whenever he got an opportunity. Most importantly, he made it a point not to yield his wicket to England seamer James Anderson, who had given him a torrid time four years earlier. It was his first hundred in England, and it came in extremely trying circumstances. Point proved.
Other batting masterclasses
USMAN KHAWAJA, OZ SAVIOUR IN DUBAI
Missing Steve Smith and David Warner, the Aussies looked certain to crash to defeat against Pakistan in the first Test in Dubai when Usman Khawaja came up with something special. Staying put for more than eight hours and 44 minutes, the left-hander stonewalled the Pakistan bowlers on the last day with his brilliant hundred as Australia pulled off a draw from the jaws of defeat. Khawaja’s gallant 302-ball 141, which took 524 minutes, was the second-longest in a fourth innings in Test history.
THE M&M SHOW
When Sri Lanka were three down for just 20 in their second innings after conceding a first innings deficit of 296 to New Zealand in the first Test in Wellington, no one would have thought what would happen next. Angelo Mathews and Kusal Mandis defied Kiwi bowlers for almost two days and 108.4 overs, adding 274 in an unbroken stand to save the Test. Both slammed hundreds, with Mathews celebrating his by doing push-ups to show he had plenty left in the tank!
149 in the Edgbaston Test
From: August 3, 2018: The Times of India
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Virat Kohli’s epic 149 in the Edgbaston Test
As in 2018, Aug
August 23, 2018: The Times of India
From: August 23, 2018: The Times of India
•# By posting his first hundred in a winning cause (103 vs England at Nottingham in the just concluded Test) in four major Test playing countries - England, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand - Virat Kohli has created history of sorts. Having scored 97 in the first innings of the Nottingham Test, he has become the first captain in Test annals to manage 200 runs or more in a Test match in a winning cause seven times.
•# Two great Australian batsmen - Don Bradman (four times vs England and twice vs India) and Ricky Ponting (twice each vs Pakistan & South Africa and once each vs West Indies and England) - had achieved the feat six times each.
•# Among Indian captains, just one other captain had managed 200 runs or more in a winning cause - MS Dhoni - 224 vs Australia at Chennai in February 2013. Kohli’s Man of the Match award in the Nottingham Test is his second instance in an overseas Test - the first being for scoring 215 - 119 & 96 vs South Africa at Johannesburg in December 2013.
•# Kohli’s overall feat of ten instances of scoring 200 runs in a Test as captain remains a record in Test Cricket.
World ranking in August
But there were questions about his captaincy.
As on 5 Aug 2018.
From: August 6, 2018: The Times of India
From: Dwaipayan Datta, August 6, 2018: The Times of India
See graphics :
Virat Kohli was the world’s no.1 batsman in Tests and ODIs…
But there were questions about his captaincy.
As on 5 Aug 2018.
Virat Kohli vis-à-vis the other top batsmen of the world, as on 5 Aug 2018
As in September 2018
From:
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Captains with 500 runs or more in a Test series in England, Virat Kohli's test series with 500-plus runs as captain, as on 2 Seot 2018.
As in October 2018
Milestones
October 6, 2018: The Times of India
From: October 6, 2018: The Times of India
• Virat Kohli, during the course of his 139) vs West Indies at Rajkot, didn’t just complete 1,000 runs in this calendar year, but became the first Indian batsman to achieve the distinction in three successive years in Tests — 2016, 2017 & 2018. He is also the first batsman to race to 1,000 runs in 2018.
• He is the first captain to amass 1,000 runs in three successive calendar years in Test annals. The only other captain to manage 1,000 runs in three calendar years was Ricky Ponting — 2005, 2006 & 2008.
• Kohli is the fifth Indian batsman to accomplish the feat of aggregating 1,000 in three or more calendar years, joining Sachin Tendulkar (six times — 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2008 & 2010), Sunil Gavaskar (four times — 1976, 1978, 1979 & 1983), Rahul Dravid (2002, 2006 & 2011) and Virender Sehwag (2004, 2008 & 2010).
• Kohli’s tally of 24 centuries in 123 innings is the second quickest in Test history behind Don Bradman’s feat of achieving the milestone in just 66 innings.
First Indian to hit three consecutive ODI centuries
Kohli becomes first Indian to hit three ODI tons on the trot, October 28, 2018: The Times of India
Indian skipper Virat Kohli continued his imperious form, scoring 107 on Saturday against the West Indies to become the first Indian cricketer, and the first captain of any country, to hit three consecutive ODI centuries.
It was Kohli’s sixth ODI century this year, cementing his position as the top ton-getter in 2018 (Jonny Bairstow and Rohit Sharma have 4 each). He also has most runs (1,153) and the highest average (144) for the year so far.
However, Kohli’s heroics went in vain as India folded up for 240 to lose the match by 43 runs. The series is now tied 1-1, with two matches left.
Kohli is the 10th player in the history of the game to get three straight ODI centuries. So far, only Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara has hit four tons in a row. Can Kohli match Sanga’s feat? Watch this space.
Kohli’s other firsts, as in 2018
— Rajesh Kumar, October 28, 2018: The Times of India
• First captain to score three consecutive hundreds in ODIs (140 in Guwahati, in Visakhapatnam and 107 in Pune, all against West Indies)
• First Indian batsman, and 10th overall, to score three consecutive ODI hundreds. Kumar Sangakkara holds the record with 4 ODI centuries on the trot in the 2014-15 World Cup.
• First Indian batsman, and second overall, to score four consecutive ODI hundreds at home. Kohli scored a hundred (113 vs New Zealand in Kanpur on Oct 29, 2017) in his last appearance in ODIs at home before the commencement of the India-West Indies series. The first is AB de Villiers (114 not out & 102 not out vs India; 107 not out vs West Indies & 134 vs Netherlands between Feb 2010 and March 2011; all in India).
• First captain to score four hundreds in four successive innings in ODIs at home.
As in December 2018
December 17, 2018: The Times of India
Sumit Mukherjee, December 9, 2018: The Times of India
From: Sumit Mukherjee, December 9, 2018: The Times of India
• Virat Kohli has become the first Indian captain to manage 2,000 Test runs or more both at home and away. He is the fifth captain after Graeme Smith, Allan Border, Ricky Ponting and Alastair Cook to accomplish the feat.
• Among the 10 captains with 4,000 runs or more in Tests, Kohli’s average of 63.73 is the highest. The next best is Brian Lara’s 57.83.
• Kohli, during his 25th Test century, became the third captain after SA’s Graeme Smith (1212 in 2008) and Aussie Bobby Simpson (1018 in 1964) to hit 1,000 runs in overseas Tests in a calendar year — his tally being 1039 at 54.68 in 10 Tests in 2018
• Kohli is the third Indian batsman to get 1,000 runs in away Tests in a calendar year — the first two being Mohinder Amarnath (1065 in 9 Tests in 1983) and Rahul Dravid (1137 in 11 Tests in 2002)
• Kohli’s tally of 18 tons as captain is now third highest in Tests behind Graeme Smith (25) and Ricky Ponting (19).
• Kohli’s 1223 (ave.58.23) in 12 Tests in 2018 is his best in a calendar year.
21 No of batsmen to have registered 25 centuries or more in Tests. The list includes 4 indians — Tendulkar (51), Dravid (36), Gavaskar (34) and Kohli (25)
9 Tests taken by Kohli to complete 1,000 Test runs in Australia, one less than Don Bradman, who took 10 Tests. The catch is, Kohli has played 18 innings, while Bradman scored his runs in just 15 innings.
1029 Runs scored by Virat Kohli at an average of 57.16 in nine Tests, including five hundreds and two fifties, to become the fourth Indian batsman after Sachin Tendulkar (1809), VVS Laxman (1236) and Rahul Dravid (1143) to complete 1,000 Test runs or more against Australia in Australia.
Six centuries in Australia
Master batsman Virat Kohli smacked his 25th century and his sixth in Australia, joining the elite company of boyhood hero Sachin Tendulkar.
Playing in his 75th Test, the Indian run-machine did it in style with a classic straight drive off Mitchell Starc to reach triple figures on day three of the second Test in Perth.
He hit 11 fours in the battling 214-ball ton after coming to the crease on a fast and bouncy pitch with his team in trouble at eight for two in reply to Australia's first innings total of 326.
He was eventually out for 123, caught at slip by a diving Peter Handscomb off Pat Cummins.
In bringing up 100, he become the second-fastest batsman to 25 Test centuries in terms of innings, with 127, and the crowd showered him with applause.
Countryman Tendulkar is third with 130, while Don Bradman managed it in just 68.
The often expressive Indian captain immediately took off his helmet, pointed to his bat and gestured with his glove that he was letting it do the talking for him.
Kohli had resumed on 82 and barely gave the Australians a glimmer of a chance in reaching the ton, playing an array of strokes all around the wicket.
It was his sixth century in Australia, matching the feat of Tendulkar and motoring him past Alastair Cook, David Gower and Clive Lloyd.
While Tendulkar took 20 Tests to get his six centuries, Kohli only needed 10, further cementing his place as one of the all-time greats.
Only England's Jack Hobbs (nine) and Wally Hammond (seven) have more.
Speaking at the end of day two, Australia's Mark Waugh, who scored 20 Test centuries, said if Kohli brought up three figures it would rate as one of his finest ever.
"We know Kohli is a great player and he was probably due to make a big score against Australia after misfiring in recent Border-Gavaskar Tests," he wrote for Fox Sports.
"Given the calibre of Australia's attack and how foreign these conditions are for the Indians, if Kohli does turn this into a hundred it will be one of the best of his career given the factors at play."
2019
International runs, as captain
From: March 6, 2019: The Times of India
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Kohli fastest to 9,000 international runs as captain, as on March 6, 2019
Records, statistics: discipline-wise
As a captain, in tests
From: Dwaipayan Datta, September 12, 2018: The Times of India
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Virat Kohli's captaincy record in Tests, as of 2018, September
As a batsman
2018: 10,000 runs in one-day internationals
respedit bangalore, FASTEST ON SUMMIT 10,000, November 5, 2018: The Times of India
ONE OF INDIA’S MOST CELEBRATED BATSMEN, VIRAT KOHLI, TURNS 30 TODAY. WHAT BETTER WAY TO RAISE A TOAST THAN BY RECALLING ONE OF HIS RECENT MOMENTOUS MILESTONES
A little over a decade ago, a stylish teenager led the India team to the under-19 World Cup title. His zeal, enthusiasm and of course talent, was hard to miss. The success saw him being fast-tracked into the senior side and soon he was sharing the dressing room with stalwarts like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, V V S Laxman and Virender Sehwag.
The name - Virat Kohli - was suddenly among the most-used names in Indian cricket. In the decade gone by, he has transformed himself into a cricketer par excellence and a leader with a high success rate. The transformation hasn't happened overnight. It has been carefully structured and the results are telling.
One of the best compliments Kohli received a few years ago came from the legendary West Indies batsman Viv Richards, who said, "I love watching Virat Kohli bat. I love his aggression, and he has serious passion that I used to have. He reminds me of myself."
Captain Virat Kohli reached a remarkable milestone recently when he notched up 10,000 runs in one-day internationals. It is the fastest ever. He achieved this feat in his 205th innings against the West Indies in Visakhapatnam and carved out another page for himself in the history books. Virat has overtaken Sachin Tendulkar, the master blaster, by scoring his 10,000th run in his 205th innings as against the 259 innings Sachin took to cross the 10,000 run mark.
This match was Virat Kohli's 213th one-day international. He put on 157 runs which incidentally was his 37th one-day international century. It was also a record of sorts as this was his second consecutive century in one-day internationals. Virat Kohli has come a long way since he made his debut 10 years ago, against Sri Lanka in 2008.
Sachin Tendulkar was quick to congratulate Kohli. "The intensity and consistency with which you bat is just amazing. Congratulations on achieving 10,000 runs in ODIs. Keep the runs flowing", Sachin tweeted.
Virat Kohli is the 13th batsman in the world, and the fifth Indian, to score 10,000 runs in one-day internationals. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who completed 10,000 runs in one-day internationals in July congratulated the skipper. Freddie Wilde, a cricket analysed, compared Kohli's 10,000 runs in the shortest span of time to cutting seconds from Usain Bolt's world record in the 100-metre dash. Though this match ended in a tie, Kohli was a winner on the day.
Centuries in a winning cause
As in 2018, Dec
From: December 19, 2018: The Times of India
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Kohli’s Centuries in a winning cause. As in 2018, Dec
ODI runs
Jan 2019: becomes 10th highest run-getter
There's no stopping Virat Kohli, quite literally. Kohli on Wednesday added another feather to his illustrious cap as he went past West Indies’ batting legend and former captain Brian Lara on the tally of most one-day international (ODI) runs. The 30-year-old overtook Lara during the first ODI of the five-match series against New Zealand at McLean Park in Napier.
Kohli, who became the first Indian captain to lead a team to a Test series win on Australian soil, needed 21 runs to go past Lara on the most ODI runs' chart before this match.
Kohli scored 45 off 59 balls as India kicked off their New Zealand tour on a victorious note, beating the Kane Williamson-led side by 8 wickets (DLS).
With this feat, Kohli has also broken into the top 10 of the elite ODI highest run-scorers' list. He currently has 10,430 runs in 212 innings.
Lara, meanwhile, played 289 ODI innings, scoring 10,405 runs at an average of 40.48, including 19 centuries and 63 fifties.
Top 10 highest run-getters in ODIs:
| PLAYER | INNINGS | RUNS |
| Sachin Tendulkar (INDIA) | 452 | 18426 |
| Kumar Sangakkara (SRI LANKA) | 380 | 14234 |
| Ricky Ponting (AUSTRALIA) | 365 | 13704 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya (SRI LANKA) | 433 | 13430 |
| Mahela Jayawardene (SRI LANKA) | 418 | 12650 |
| Inzamam-ul-Haq (PAKISTAN) | 350 | 11739 |
| Jacques Kallis (SOUTH AFRICA) | 314 | 11579 |
| Sourav Ganguly (INDIA) | 300 | 11363 |
| Rahul Dravid (INDIA) | 318 | 10889 |
| Virat Kohli (INDIA) | 212 | 10430 |
With 18,426 runs under his belt, master blaster Sachin Tendulkar is on top of the list. The batting legend played 452 ODI innings in his career and scored 49 centuries and 96 fifties.
Besides Kohli and Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly (11,363) and Rahul Dravid (10,889) are the other Indian batsmen in the top 10 on the list of highest run-scorers in ODI cricket.
Successful ODI chases
Jan: 5,000 runs
From: [ The Times of India]
From: March 6, 2019: The Times of India
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Jan 2019: Kohli crossed the 5,000 run- mark in successful ODI chases
Virat Kohli's break-up of ODI centuries, as on March 6, 2019
ODI series, bilateral
Losses, as in 2019 March
From: March 14, 2019: The Times of India
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ODI series, bilateral, lost under Kohli, as in 2019 March
