Virat Kohli's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Virat Kohli.

Virat Kohli is a prominent Indian international cricketer, formerly captaining the Indian national team. A right-handed batsman and occasional bowler, he represents Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL and Delhi domestically. Celebrated as one of the greatest limited-overs batsmen ever, he holds the record for most ODI centuries and is second for international centuries and is the highest run-scorer in the IPL. Kohli contributed to India's victories in the 2011 Cricket World Cup, 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, 2024 T20 World Cup and 2025 Champions Trophy. As captain, India held the ICC World Test Championship Mace from 2016-2020, winning the season prize three times.

Sections (4)

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

November 2006: First-Class Debut and Father's Death

In November 2006, Virat Kohli made his first-class debut during the Ranji Trophy season against Tamil Nadu, scoring ten runs. Later in the same match, his father passed away, but Kohli returned to score 90 runs, demonstrating immense determination.

June 2008: Awarded Border-Gavaskar Scholarship

In June 2008, Virat Kohli, along with his U-19 teammates Pradeep Sangwan and Tanmay Srivastava, was awarded the Border–Gavaskar scholarship, providing an opportunity to train at Cricket Australia's Centre of Excellence in Brisbane.

2008: Victory in U-19 World Cup

In 2008, Virat Kohli led the Indian squad to victory in the U-19 World Cup held in Malaysia. He scored 100 runs off 74 balls, versus the West Indies Under-19s and also captured 2 wickets and contributed 43 runs in the semi-final against New Zealand Under-19s.

2010: Continued Success in ODIs

By early 2010, Virat Kohli became the third Indian to score two ODI centuries before turning 22.

2010: Appointment as Vice-Captain and Scoring 1,000 ODI Runs

In 2010, Virat Kohli was appointed vice-captain for a tri-series in Zimbabwe and became the then fastest Indian to score 1,000 ODI runs.

January 2012: Maiden Test Century in Adelaide

In January 2012, Virat Kohli scored his maiden Test century in Adelaide.

2012: Recognized as One of the Best-Dressed Men

In 2012, Virat Kohli was recognized as one of the best-dressed men by GQ fashion magazine, alongside figures such as Barack Obama.

2013: Champions Trophy win and Captaincy Appointment

In 2013, Kohli was a key player in India's batting lineup and contributed to India's Champions Trophy victory. During a tri-series in the West Indies in 2013, he was appointed captain for the first time, scoring his first century as skipper. He also set records, including the fastest ODI century by an Indian.

2014: Difficult England tour and Test Captaincy

In 2014, Kohli had a difficult tour of England, averaging 13.4. He regained his form later and was named the full-time Test captain after MS Dhoni's retirement during the tour of Australia. He received the Man of the Tournament award at the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 for his performance.

2015: 2015 World Cup and Test series win in Sri Lanka

In 2015, after a strong start to the World Cup with a century against Pakistan, Kohli's tournament ended with a score of 1 in the semi-final loss to Australia. Following this, he led the team to his first Test series win as captain in Sri Lanka in 2015.

2016: Player of the Tournament at ICC World T20

In 2016, Kohli was named Player of the Tournament at the ICC World T20. During the same year, from 2016 to 2018, he began a peak phase of his career.

2016: Record-breaking IPL Season

The 2016 season marked a significant phase in Kohli’s career. He began with a series of half-centuries and registered his maiden T20 century against Gujarat. He finished the season with a record 973 runs and claimed both the Orange Cap and the Most Valuable Player award.

2017: Forbes' 'Most Valuable Brand among Athletes'

In 2017, Virat Kohli was recognized by Forbes as the seventh "Most Valuable Brand among Athletes", surpassing figures like Lionel Messi and Stephen Curry, with a brand estimation of $14.5 million.

2017: Injury and Difficult IPL Campaign

In the 2017 season, Kohli missed the opening three matches due to a shoulder injury. Bangalore endured a difficult campaign and were eliminated early, finishing at the bottom of the table. That same year, he was named in ESPNcricinfo’s all-time IPL XI.

2018: No. 1 Test batsman and Test series victory in Australia

In 2018, Kohli became the No. 1 ranked Test batsman and led India to its first-ever Test series victory in Australia.

2020: Ranked 66th in Forbes' Top 100 Highest-Paid Athletes

In 2020, Virat Kohli secured the 66th spot in Forbes' top 100 highest-paid athletes, with estimated earnings exceeding $26 million.

2022: Return to form at Asia Cup and T20 World Cup

In 2022, Kohli's return to form began at the Asia Cup, where he scored his maiden T20I century. He was also the highest run-scorer at the 2022 T20 World Cup, including an impactful innings against Pakistan.

2023: Player of the Tournament at 2023 World Cup

In 2023, Kohli's peak resurgence came at the World Cup on home soil, where he was named the Player of the Tournament for scoring a record 765 runs. During the tournament, he also scored his 50th ODI hundred, surpassing Tendulkar's record.