Virat Kohli Education, Early Life & Cricket Journey In A Snapshot!

16 mins read

"I always dreamt of holding the bat and winning games for India. That was my inspiration to take up cricket."

This quote showcases the passion a cricketer holds for the sport and the love they have for their nation. But do you know who we are talking about?

Yes, it is none other than Virat Kohli, aka the Chase Master of India, the former Indian team captain, and someone who needs no introduction. After all, he is the man who drives our cricket-crazed nation into a frenzy every time he steps onto the greens.

The Run Machine lived up to this name in the ICC Men's World Cup 2023 as well, where he broke the Master Blaster's (Sachin Tendulkar) record of scoring the most runs in ICC World Cups (ODIs and IT20).

If you, too, are a fan, then this article is sure to tickle your curiosity about the cricketer. Here, you will find some fun facts about Virat Kohli's education, early life, and cricket journey that you might not have heard of before. Exciting!

Virat Kohli's Biography (Early Life): Born & Brought Up In Delhi

Virat Kohli is one of the most popular Indian cricketers with a huge fan following across the globe, evident from the countless followers he has on various social media platforms. It is marvelous to note how a boy from a simple family in Delhi went on to become one of the fastest cricketers India has ever seen.

In 2020, Kohli became the first Indian to garner 50 million followers on Instagram. In 4 years, the number has more than quadrupled to 266 million followers.

 

 

 

 

 

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The former T20I captain was born on 5th November 1988 to a Punjabi family in Delhi's Uttam Nagar. His father, Prem Kohli, was a criminal lawyer, and his mother, Saroj Kohli, was a housewife. He is the third child of the couple, with one elder brother- Vikas Kohli, and an elder sister- Bhawna Kohli.

Virat spent most of his childhood in Delhi and also got his training in the national capital. And it was this training, hard work, and persistence that led him to the heights of success.

Here are some key facts about the Indian batsman-

Virat Kohli Education: Studied Till Class 12

We know you must be curious about your favorite Indian batsman, Virat Kohli's education! So here it is.

There have been many instances where Kohli has mentioned that while his family never discouraged him from playing cricket, they were also keen on him getting a proper education. But alas, fate is a fickle thing. 

• Virat Kohli did his schooling till 9th standard at the Vishal Bharti Public School in Delhi.
• He switched to the Saviour Convent School, Paschim Vihar, Delhi, in the 9th standard to further his cricket career aspirations. 

• While still in school, Virat loved History and was interested in learning more about the past. He, however, was not fond of mathematics and used to struggle with it.

• Despite his family being big on formal educational qualifications, Virat had to drop out of school after only completing his 11th standard.
• This was because he started playing for the India Under-19 Team when he was merely 16 years of age.
• Naturally, after breaking into the Indian cricket scene and becoming the U-19 World Cup team captain, there was no looking back for him. 

Virat continued to explore his passion with vigor. But had to forgo getting higher education in his pursuits to become the amazing international cricketer that we know today.

Cricket Career: The Beginning & Timeline

There are very few people who know with conviction, what they want to do from a young age. Kohli was one of these people who showed interest in cricket at 3 years of age. Hard to believe but true!

There are very few people who know, with conviction, what they want to do from a young age. Kohli was one of these people who showed interest in cricket at 3 years of age. Hard to believe, but true!

• A kid's interest in a sport often gets passed on as a hobby, but Virat's father believed in his son's passion for cricket. In 1998, Prem Kohli enrolled Virat in the West Delhi Cricket Academy when he was 9 years old.
• There, Kohli got coaching from Raj Kumar Sharma, who was spellbound by the youngling's excellent performance two weeks into his coaching. At the same time, Kohli also started playing matches at the Sumeet Dogra Academy in Delhi.
• Kohli first started garnering attention when Rajkumar Sharma invited Ashish Nehra to watch a match in the 2002-2003 Polly Umrigar Trophy. Virat Kohli was a part of the Delhi Under-15 team and went on to become the highest run-scorer. He scored 172 runs at an average of 34.40.
• After putting up an amazing performance in the 2002-03 Polly Umrigar Trophy, he became the Team Captain and led them to the 2003-04 trophy.
• Virat Kohli was later selected for the Delhi Under-17 team and participated in the 2003-04 Vijay Merchant Trophy. Once again, King Kohli earned his title by becoming the highest scorer with 470 runs in four matches for the Vijay Merchant Trophy.
• He continued performing well in the next season and also helped the Delhi Under-17 team win the 2004-05 Vijay Merchant Trophy.
• By 2006, Kohli was all set to make his debut for Delhi and play his first-ever List A match against Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy. Even though he did not score that well in the match, he did show considerable promise.
• Unfortunately, he suffered a personal setback when he lost his father to a heart attack in December 2006, right in the middle of the Ranji Trophy. However, the Indian batsman did not let this deter him from his path; instead, he used it to fuel his performance.
• Just a day after his father's demise, Kohli went on to score a 90 against Karnataka in a Ranji match. A match that is noted in history as an inspiration for countless across the nation. It was a testament to how the cricketer did not stray from his goals even in the face of dire personal loss. 
• Kohli's consistently good performance earned him a spot on the India Under-19 team in 2006 for the England tour.
• Virat Kohli played amazingly well in the India Under-19s stint and made his T20 debut in 2007.

This was the beginning of an International cricket career that would inspire thousands of cricket aspirants and satisfy the hunger of countless more cricket fans.

Virat Kohli Career Till 2022

The graphic below will give you a snapshot view of Virat Kohli's career before we discuss his journey in the International cricket scene in greater detail:

Virat Kohli Career: 2023 to Present

2023 alone was marked by a series of incredible achievements that cemented Kohli’s position as one of the finest cricketers in the world:

• He started the year with the 21st century of his career. In an ODI series against the touring Sri Lankan, Kohli amassed 166 runs off 110 balls in the third match of the series.
• With this century, Kohli took the title of the most ODI centuries scored in the country. He also surpassed Mahela Jayawardene to become the fifth-highest run-scorer in ODI cricket.
• During the 2023 Asia Cup, Kohli achieved yet another milestone - becoming the fastest batsman to score 13,000 ODI runs in only 267 innings. Interestingly, Tendulkar took 321 innings to reach the same landmark.
• During the World Cup 2023 series, Kohli added another feather to his glorious cap, becoming the first player to score 50 centuries in ODI cricket, surpassing Tendulkar’s record of 49 centuries. He was also awarded the title of Player of the Tournament title.

“I think he is one of the four most charismatic cricketers I have seen, along with Imran Khan, Shane Warne and Viv Richards, and I cannot think there has been a better ODI player in history,” - broadcaster, journalist and former English cricketer, Michael Atherton on Virat.

Currently, Kohli cited personal reasons and withdrew from the first two matches of the 2024 Test series against England.

Virat Kohli International Career

A talent like King Kohli's deserved every bit of attention it got. Here is a look at the highlights from the cricketer's mainstream career: 

• Virat Kohli had gained considerable popularity with his performance thus far, but his first taste of true success came when he became the U-19 World Cup team captain. It was then that he led the Under-19 team to victory and lifted the 2008 Under-19 World Cup.
• Kohli's killer cover drive and commendable performance won him the Border-Gavaskar Scholarship later in 2008. From there, he went on a 6-week training at Cricket Australia’s Centre of Excellence in Brisbane.
• Finally, in August 2008, the Chase Master made his International ODI debut at 19 years of age. Though he got dismissed at 12 runs in that match, he went on to score his maiden half-century (ODI) in the fourth match of the series against Sri Lanka. The Indian Team eventually won the series against Sri Lanka, which was also being conducted in Sri Lanka (Ha!).
• Fate kept working in Kohli's favor, and he soon got the shot to play in the 2009 ICC Championship Trophy for the Indian team. This was the beginning of many firsts for Virat Kohli, who won his first Man of the Match Award in the series match against West Indies.
• He also hit his maiden ODI century in December 2009 and a second in 2010. 
• Kohli's continued performance helped him win the hearts of cricket fans across the globe and also a spot on the 2011 World Cup Indian team. Here, he became the first Indian batsman to score a century (against Bangladesh) in his World Cup debut.
•  In June- July 2011, he got a spot on the test squad for the West Indies Tour. However, he struggled to perform in the format and was dropped from the team. 
• In August 2011, he was called back for a Test series against England as Yuvraj Singh's replacement but did not get to play any match. But he bode his time and finally outshone as a brilliant player in the Test format while touring Australia in December 2011. 
• Even though India lost the Australia series, Kohli scored his maiden Test century in the final match of the series and was the top scorer for the Indian team. 
• In 2012, Virat Kohli was appointed the Vice-Captain for the 2012 Asia Cup to be held in Bangladesh. Again, even though India did not make it to the finals, Kohli scored 183 runs in the final group match against Pakistan. This became a record highest individual score against Pakistan (ODI), breaking Brian Lara's long-standing record of 156 runs.
• His passion for the sport shone through his consistent performance in 2013. In an ODI series against Australia in 2013, he scored the fastest century by an Indian batsman by making 100 runs off 52 balls.
• In 2014, Kohli finally made the Indian Test Squad Captain and amassed a total of 692 runs, the most by an Indian in a Test series in Australia. 
• In his 2015 stint, Kohli truly owned the 'fastest batsman' title by scoring 1000 runs in T20I against South Africa in the 17th innings. He also became the first Indian to score a century against Pakistan in the World Cup in the same year. 
• His success streak continued in 2017 when he scored a total of 2818 runs in the international cricket scene. After M.S. Dhoni resigned from captaincy the same year, Virat Kohli was appointed as the captain across all formats.
• In 2017, he also became the first-ever batsman to hit six double hundreds as the Captain.
• Virat Kohli's impeccable performance led him to Rank 1 in the ICC Test Rankings in August 2018, being recorded as the 7th Indian batsman to achieve this feat. 
• The same year, Kohli became the first Indian Captain to hit 3 successive centuries in ODIs, scoring 593 runs- the highest total by an Indian batsman in a losing series, and most importantly, became the fastest player to score 10,000 ODI runs.
• While the win ratio for India under Virat Kohli's captaincy (barring the ICC trophies) was quite high, post the loss of the 2021 T20 World Cup, Virat Kohli resigned from the T20 captaincy in September 2021. He was replaced by Rohit Sharma, who is also the current captain.
• In December 2021, Kohli also stepped down from the ODI captaincy. And from the Test captaincy in January 2022. 
• Kohli continued to perform well in the Asia Cup 2022 and the 2022 T20 WC and held fort alongside Surya Kumar Yadav.
• Kohli also made it to the ICC Men's World Cup 2023 squad, announced in September 2023. 
• In the India vs. Afghanistan match on October 11 (which was Kohli's 53rd World innings), he broke Sachin Tendulkar's record of scoring the most runs combined for ODI and IT20 World Cups. 

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Virat Kohli: Inspired By Sachin Tendulkar

Image credits: ESPNCricInfo

Virat Kohli has often spoken about how Sachin Tendulkar inspired him to become the cricketer he is today. He has mentioned that watching Tendulkar play for India motivated him to work hard and strive for excellence in his own game.

Kohli has also expressed his admiration for Tendulkar's dedication, skill, and ability to handle pressure, all of which have influenced his own approach to the sport. In 2013, Tendulkar bid adieu to the game after playing his 200th Test at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. At the end of his emotional farewell speech, there was not a single dry eye in the crowd. However, what brought Tendulkar to tears was Kohli’s priceless gesture.

A legendary conversation between two icons!

Kohli offered Tendulkar a gift - sacred threads that Kohli had received from his late father. In an interview, Kohli said that he kept the thread with him, but at that point, he could not think of anything more valuable to give Tendulkar than the thread.

“I just want you to know how much you inspired me and all of us, and this is my little gift to you,” said Kohli.

Tendulkar appreciated the gesture but returned the thread, stating that it was a priceless gift that deserved to be with Kohli till his last play. Talk about an iconic exchange!

Tendulkar's impact on Kohli's career is evident in the way he plays and carries himself on and off the field, making it clear that the legendary cricketer has left a lasting impression on the current Indian captain.

Virat Kohli's IPL Journey & Facts

The Indian Premier League is the annual men's T20 league where the nation, divided by state teams, comes together for the love of the sport. Here are the highlights from Virat Kohli's IPL journey:

• Virat Kohli was picked up by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the first edition of IPL back in 2008. And he has been playing under the same camp since, currently under the direction of Faf du Plessis.
• In 2013, Virat Kohli became the RCB team Captain and continued in the role for 8 seasons. He stepped down from the captaincy at the end of the 2021 season.
• His partnership with 'Mr. 360', the South African batsman AB de Villers, has been the highlight of many IPL seasons.  
• Virat Kohli's best season in IPL was in 2016 when he played 16 matches and scored 973 runs, 4 centuries, and 7 half-centuries. It was in this season that he achieved his highest IPL score of 113 runs off 50 balls. He also won the orange cap in the same season.
• As of 2023, the RCB franchise has acquired Virat Kohli for INR 15 Crores.

Considered to be one of the best IPL players, here is a snapshot view of the milestones Kohli has achieved in his IPL journey so far:

We are sure that all Kohli fans are waiting with baited breaths to see what this season of IPL will bring. Guess we'll just have to wait and watch.

Awards & Achievement: Virat Kohli (The Run Machine)

Here are some of King Kohli's key achievements & awards:

After reading all about Virat Kohli's education, family background, and performance throughout his career (so far) we are sure you must all agree that he truly is - KING KOHLI. We'd like to leave you with a closing quote, something sort of like a mantra from the cricketer himself:

‘If you can stay positive in a negative situation, you win.’

All you have to do is truly believe in yourself. #BePositive #BeUnstoppable

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How old is Virat Kohli?

Virat Kohli was born on November 5, 1988 in Delhi, India. He is 35 years old. Interestingly, on his 35th birthday he scored his he scored his 49th ODI century. It took Kohli 277 innings to reach this milestone.

2. Does Virat Kohli have siblings?

Yes, 2 siblings - an elder brother and sister, Vikas Kohli and Bhawna Kohli Dhingra, respectively.

3. How many National Awards has Virat Kohli received?

Kohli has been awarded three national awards:

• In 2013, he received the Arjuna Award. It’s India’s second-highest sporting honour.
• In 2017, he received the Padma Shri. It’s India's fourth-highest civilian award.
• In 2018, he received the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. It’s India's highest sporting honour.

4. What are some lesser-known facts about Virat Kohli?

Many people know about Virat Kohli’s cricketing stats and love for the game, but here are a few lesser-known facts about the run machine:

• A football fan, he has a stake in the Indian Super League football, FC Goa.
• Since 2018, Virat Kohli has been a vegetarian.
• Virat Kohli was also interested in tennis as a kid, but cricket won.

5. How many tattoos does Virat Kohli have?

Kohli has 12 tattoos and each of them represents a part of his life’s journey. Some of the tattoos that he sports are tribal art, the zodiac sign Scorpio, religious symbols like the word Om and Lord Shiva, and his parents’ names, among others.

You might also be interested in reading the following:

1. Virat Kohli's Salary Details & Net Worth Will Blow Your Mind!
2. ICC World Cup 2023: KL Rahul's Education, Family Details & Career Milestones
3. Inside The Life Of Rohit Sharma: Biography, Education Details, And More