A look at Virat Kohli's meteoric rise to the top

Virat Kohli

At the age of 27, and currently the captain of the Indian team, Virat Kohli is one of the finest young cricketers in the world. His fiery spirit and aggressive tactics make him a figure of inspiration for budding players across the country. Let’s take a look at his ascension.

Humble Beginnings

Born in Delhi to a Punjabi family, Virat would play gully cricket in the evenings after school. Things changed when the West Delhi Cricket Academy was created, and Kohli, only 9 at the time, began attending coaching classes there. His father, Prem Kohli, wholeheartedly supported his son’s love for cricket.

The Feroz Shah Kotla cricket ground in Delhi was a huge source of motivation to Kohli. He claims that it was where India played some of their best games. It’s fitting that some of his finest early-career games were played there as well.

Debut In International Cricket

Virat made his debut when he was selected to play for the Under-19 team during its tour of England. His team went on to win the tournament during this tour.

What really caught the world’s eye, though, was Kohli’s match against the Karnataka team in December 2006, at the age of 18. The match was scheduled for the day after his father’s death, and Kohli scored 90 runs in the game before he was dismissed and left to attend the funeral.

Between February and March 2008, Kohli captained the Under-19 team to victory at the 2008 ICC World Cup in Malaysia. He caught the attention of popular IPL franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and was bought for $30,000 on a youth contract.

Turning Point

The turning point in Kohli’s career came during the Emerging Players Tournament that was held between July and August 2009 in Australia.

He became the highest scorer, with a total of 398 runs from 7 matches. In the final match, against South Africa Emerging Players, Kohli scored 104 off 102 balls, giving his team the upper hand and helping them win the match.

Another boost to his career was when he was asked to bat in place the injured Yuvraj Singh during the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy. Kohli scored 79 runs and was awarded his first man of the match title, solidifying his career in Indian cricket.

Present Day Scenario

In 2014, when captain MS Dhoni was injured, Kohli was asked to lead the team for a Test match, and once Dhoni retired from test cricket, Kohli took over.

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Virat is currently the captain of the Indian team in Test cricket and vice-captain in limited overs cricket. He’s also the captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore, in the Indian Premier League.

Apart from all the titles he’s won, Kohli has also managed to put a spin on the way the Indian team plays, making them more aggressive. He’s became the fastest batsmen in the world to hit 1000 runs in the T20s, and isn’t about to stop being a force to be reckoned with.