History of Virat Kohli in Timeline

Virat Kohli is an Indian international cricketer, renowned as one of the greatest batsmen ever. He excels in Test and ODI formats, formerly captaining the national team across all formats. A right-handed batsman and occasional bowler, Kohli holds the record for the most runs in the IPL. He ranks high in international run-scoring across T20I and ODI formats and holds the record for the most centuries in ODIs, also securing the second most centuries in all international cricket.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

November 1988: Virat Kohli's Birth

In November 1988, Virat Kohli was born in Delhi into a Punjabi Hindu family.

1998: Enrollment in West Delhi Cricket Academy

In 1998, Virat Kohli's father arranged for him to meet Rajkumar Sharma and enroll in the West Delhi Cricket Academy (WDCA).

December 2006: Death of Virat Kohli's Father

In December 2006, Virat Kohli's father passed away due to a cerebral attack, which led to a shift in Kohli's demeanor and a more serious dedication to cricket.

August 2008: Inclusion in ODI Squad

In August 2008, Virat Kohli was included in the ODI squad for the tour of Sri Lanka and the Champions Trophy in Pakistan.

August 18, 2008: International Debut

On August 18, 2008, Virat Kohli made his international debut at the age of 19 in the first ODI against Sri Lanka, scoring 12 runs.

September 2008: India A Squad Selection

In September 2008, Kohli was picked as a replacement for the injured Shikhar Dhawan in the India A squad for the unofficial Tests against Australia A.

October 2008: Tour Match Against Australia

In October 2008, Kohli participated in a four-day tour match against Australia as part of the Indian Board President's XI team, scoring 105 runs in the first innings.

November 2008: Selection for ODI series against England

In November 2008, Kohli was selected for inclusion in the squad for the home ODI series against England, but he was not given an opportunity to play in any of the matches.

December 2008: BCCI Grade D Contract

In December 2008, Kohli was awarded a Grade D contract by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

2008: Under-19 Cricket World Cup Win

In 2008, Kohli was a member of the Indian team that won the Under-19 Cricket World Cup.

2008: Signed to Cornerstone Sport and Entertainment

In 2008, Kohli was approached by and signed with sports agent Bunty Sajdeh of Cornerstone Sport and Entertainment, after being recommended by Yuvraj Singh.

August 2009: Return to National Team

In August 2009, Kohli returned to the national team after recovering from a minor shoulder injury, replacing the injured Gautam Gambhir in the Indian squad for the tri-series in Sri Lanka.

August 2009: Emerging Players Tournament

In July–August 2009, Kohli was selected to open the innings for the Indian Emerging Players team in the Emerging Players Tournament, held in Australia. He finished as the tournament's leading run-scorer, with a total of 398 runs from seven matches.

2009: Champions Trophy Postponement

Following the postponement of the Champions Trophy to 2009, Kohli was picked as a replacement for the injured Shikhar Dhawan in the India A squad for the unofficial Tests against Australia A in September 2008.

2011: Cricket World Cup Win

In 2011, Kohli was a member of the Indian team that won the Cricket World Cup.

2012: Best-Dressed Man Recognition

In 2012, Kohli was recognized as one of the best-dressed men by the fashion magazine GQ, appearing on their annual list.

2012: ICC ODI Player of the Year

In 2012, Kohli won the ICC ODI Player of the Year award.

2012: Wearing kara

Since 2012, Virat Kohli has been observed sporting a kara, a traditional bangle often worn for religious or spiritual purposes, on his right arm.

2013: Champions Trophy Win

In 2013, Kohli was a member of the Indian team that won the Champions Trophy.

2013: Arjuna Award

In 2013, Kohli was honored with the Arjuna Award.

2013: Number One ODI Batsman

In 2013, Kohli was ranked number one in the ODI batsmen ICC rankings.

2013: Tendulkar's Retirement

In 2013, Sachin Tendulkar retired from international cricket. Kohli, who played alongside Tendulkar in the team.

2013: Founding of Virat Kohli Foundation

In 2013, Virat Kohli founded the "Virat Kohli Foundation" to support underprivileged children.

2013: Romantic association with Anushka Sharma

In 2013, Virat Kohli started his romantic association with Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma, giving them the name "Virushka".

2013: Endorsement Valuation

In 2013, it was reported that Kohli's brand endorsements were valued at over ₹1 billion (US$12 million).

November 2014: Launch of WROGN fashion brand

In November 2014, Virat Kohli partnered with Anjana Reddy's Universal Sportsbiz (USPL) to launch the youth fashion brand WROGN.

2014: Brand Value Evaluation

In 2014, American Appraisal conducted an evaluation of Kohli's brand value and determined it to be $56.4 million, placing him fourth on the list of India's most valued celebrity brands.

2014: Player of the Tournament in T20 World Cup

In 2014, Virat Kohli was named the Player of the Tournament in the T20 World Cup.

2014: Charity auction with Save the Children India

In 2014, the Virat Kohli Foundation participated in a charity auction organized by eBay and Save the Children India, with proceeds for underprivileged children's education and healthcare.

2015: Number One T20I Batsman

In 2015, Kohli achieved the number one ranking in T20I.

2015: Investment in health clubs and fitness centers

In 2015, Virat Kohli invested ₹90 crore towards establishing a chain of health clubs and fitness centers throughout India, named "Chisel".

2015: Family Relocation

In 2015, Virat Kohli's family relocated from Meera Bagh, Paschim Vihar to Gurgaon.

June 2016: Charity Football Match Celebrity Clasico

In June 2016, Virat Kohli led the All Hearts FC against the All Stars FC, captained by Ranbir Kapoor, in a charity football match, dubbed the "Celebrity Clasico", in Mumbai.

October 2016: Brand Worth Increase

In October 2016, Duff & Phelps determined that Kohli's brand worth had increased to $92 million.

2016: Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World

In 2016, Kohli was named the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World.

2016: Launch of Stepathlon Kids

In 2016, Virat Kohli joined forces with Stepathlon Lifestyle to launch Stepathlon Kids to encourage young individuals to adopt healthy lifestyle habits.

2016: Player of the Tournament in T20 World Cup

In 2016, Virat Kohli was named the Player of the Tournament in the T20 World Cup for the second time.

2016: Partnership with Smile Foundation

In 2016, the Virat Kohli Foundation partnered with Smile Foundation to promote the empowerment of underprivileged children and young people.

December 2017: Marriage to Anushka Sharma

On 11 December 2017, Virat Kohli married Anushka Sharma in Florence, Italy.

2017: ICC Test Mace Win

In 2017, Kohli captained India to win the ICC Test mace.

2017: Endorsement Agreement with Puma

In 2017, Kohli entered into an endorsement agreement with Puma that spanned over eight years and was estimated to be worth around ₹1.1 billion (US$13 million).

2017: Multiple Awards

In 2017, Kohli won the ICC ODI Player of the Year award and the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy.

2017: Establishment of Athlete Development Programme (ADP)

In 2017, Virat Kohli established the Athlete Development Programme (ADP) as a platform for nurturing and supporting aspiring young athletes, providing guidance in coaching, training, fitness, competition, and nutrition.

2017: Launch of One8 athletic brand

In 2017, Virat Kohli partnered with Puma to launch his athletic lifestyle brand, One8, offering sport-related apparel, footwear, and accessories.

2018: ICC Test Mace Win

In 2018, Kohli captained India to win the ICC Test mace.

2018: Multiple Awards

In 2018, Kohli won the ICC ODI Player of the Year award, the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, and became the first player to win both ICC ODI and Test Player of the Year awards in the same year. He also received the Khel Ratna Award.

2018: Decision to adopt a vegetarian diet

In 2018, Virat Kohli decided to adopt a vegetarian diet to alleviate symptoms of a cervical spine issue caused by elevated levels of uric acid, impacting his finger movements and batting performance.

2018: Record of 1,000 ODI runs in a calendar year

In 2018, Virat Kohli set a record by becoming the first player to score 1,000 ODI runs in 11 innings in a calendar year.

2018: Documentary Release

In 2018, a documentary highlighting Kohli's cricketing career was released on National Geographic channel.

March 2019: Brand Ambassador of Mobile Premier League

In March 2019, Kohli was named the brand ambassador of the mobile esports platform, Mobile Premier League.

2019: ICC Test Mace Win

In 2019, Kohli captained India to win the ICC Test mace.

2019: Madame Tussauds Waxwork

In 2019, on the eve of the Cricket World Cup Madame Tussauds unveiled a waxwork of Kohli in London. Also in 2019, on the eleventh anniversary of his international debut, Kohli was honoured with a stand named after him at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi, and an Indian animated superhero television series entitled Super V premiered.

2020: Forbes Ranking

In 2020, Kohli attained the 66th spot in Forbes compilation of the top 100 highest-paid athletes in the world for the year 2020, with estimated earnings exceeding $26 million.

2020: Donations for COVID-19 Relief

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Virat Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma pledged donations to the PM CARES Fund and the Maharashtra CM Relief Fund.

2020: ICC Male Cricketer of the Decade

In 2020, the ICC named Kohli the male cricketer of the decade.

January 2021: Birth of Daughter Vamika

On 11 January 2021, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma welcomed their first child, a daughter named Vamika.

April 2021: Brand Ambassador for Vivo

In April 2021, Vivo appointed Kohli as their brand ambassador ahead of the Indian Premier League.

2022: Scoring 1,000 runs in ICC Men's T20 World Cup

In 2022, Virat Kohli achieved the milestone of scoring 1,000 runs in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, becoming the second player to reach this feat.

2022: Investment in Digit and Blue Tribe

In 2022, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma invested in Digit, an insurance-based startup, and Blue Tribe, a plant-based meat products startup.

January 2023: Marketable Cricketer

As of January 2023, Kohli is widely regarded as the most marketable cricketer, with annual earnings estimated at ₹165 crore (equivalent to ₹175 crore or US$20 million in 2023).

November 2023: Achieving 50 ODI centuries and becoming the highest scorer in a single tournament

On 15 November 2023, Virat Kohli achieved his 50th ODI century in the semifinal of the 2023 Cricket World Cup, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record, and became the first player to score more than 700 runs in a single edition of the tournament.

2023: ICC ODI Player of the Year

In 2023, Kohli won the ICC ODI Player of the Year award.

2023: Equivalent Value of BCCI Contract in 2023

In December 2008, Kohli was awarded a Grade D contract by the BCCI which entitled him to receive ₹1.5 million (equivalent to ₹4.2 million or US$48,000 in 2023).

February 2024: Birth of Son Akaay

On 15 February 2024, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma had their second child, a son named Akaay.

2024: Retirement from T20Is

After winning the 2024 T20 World Cup and being named Player of the Match in the Final, Kohli announced his retirement from T20Is.

2024: Co-ownership of FC Goa

As of 2024, Virat Kohli co-owns the Indian Super League club FC Goa, as a future business opportunity.

2024: T20 World Cup Win

In 2024, Kohli was a member of the Indian team that won the T20 World Cup.

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