Virat Kohli‘s journey from a talented young player to becoming the face of Indian cricket has witnessed him stepping into the shoes of one legendary cricketer after another.
Virat Kohli’s journey from a promising young talent to the leader of Indian cricket has involved him stepping into the shoes of cricket legends. He made his debut in place of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, and later took over the captaincy from MS Dhoni.
Kohli entered the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2011 at the age of 22, making him the second youngest player in India’s winning team. It’s worth noting that he had already played 45 ODIs prior to the tournament, highlighting the high esteem in which he was held.
His initial India debut wasn’t indicative of his future success; he was out for only 12 runs against Sri Lanka. However, he quickly left his mark, achieving his first half-century in his fourth game.
A year later, Kohli scored his first century, but he had to bide his time and wait for the opportunity to secure his spot in the team due to the presence of several Indian cricket legends.
His chance came when he replaced a rested Tendulkar in a tri-nation ODI tournament at the beginning of 2010, and he seized the moment with yet another century.
Off the field, Kohli had a bit of an enigmatic personality, but for his captain at that time, Dhoni, the team appreciated Kohli for who he was.
He said: “It’s important for him to be himself. You have to show off what you are and he has matured now. To us, he comes as a humble guy. He might come across differently to the world. Being a good human being is important, but it can come later, what’s important now is that he [Kohli] scores on the field.”
Virat Kohli has participated in more than 500 matches for India
Kohli concluded the year as India’s top run-scorer in ODIs, boasting an average of 47.38, earning him a spot in the 2011 World Cup squad on home turf. He began the World Cup with a century in the opening match, and later, in the final, partnered with Gambhir after the early departures of Sehwag and Tendulkar, contributing 35 runs to India’s historic victory.
His Test debut followed, and buoyed by a brief stint as ODI captain in 2013, during which he scored a century in his second match as skipper, Kohli started setting records.
Notably, he achieved the fastest ODI century by an Indian and the quickest against Australia, reaching three figures in just 52 balls. He secured his first Test century as captain in 2014, once again against Australia, while filling in for Dhoni before permanently taking over leadership mid-series.
In 2016 and 2017, he notched up double centuries across four consecutive Test series, surpassing records held by Don Bradman and Rahul Dravid. Kohli received the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year in 2017 and repeated the achievement the following year.
His trophy cabinet grew in 2018, earning the titles of ICC Men’s Test Player of the Year and ICC Men’s ODI Player of the Year. He was also recognized as one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People. During this period, Kohli crossed the 10,000 ODI run mark, achieving this milestone faster than anyone before, accomplishing it in 54 fewer innings than the previous record holder, Tendulkar.
Kohli has now played over 500 matches for India, and as the tournament that elevated him and the rest of the 2011 squad to legendary status returns to India, his career is reaching a full circle.
Interestingly, Kohli is the only player who achieved success in the 2011 squad to be part of India’s team for the upcoming tournament. To close this circle, both he and India are hopeful that he will once again lift the trophy in the 2023 edition.
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