OTD| Fondly known as ‘King of Cricket,’ Virat Kohli was born in 1988

The gladiatorial ‘king’ of Indian Cricket is celebrating his 35th birthday today. He has been the poster boy of Indian cricket as ‘King of Cricket,’ Virat Kohli was born in 1988 since the last decade. He has taken the sport to another level globally. Not just for Indian Cricket but for cricket worldwide he has been a boon. He has been the most consistent performer for Team India over the years. His role in the evolution of Indian cricket is not just limited as a player but as a leader as well he has contributed a lot. His tenure as a test captain will be remembered for a long time. Virat Kohli has been the prime force behind the renaissance of Test cricket.

The Beginning

Kohli garnered wide attention by leading the Indian U-19 side to World Cup glory in 2008. Virat Kohli was given the charge of the U-19 side because of his prodigious performances in the domestic circuit. He had notable performances in the U-19 World Cup and eventually ended up with 235 runs in 6 innings at an average of 47. 

He got his first international break when he was selected for the Indian team for the Sri Lankan tour. Kohli made his debut in the first match of the ODI series at Dambulla. Since he has set foot on the international stage, he has arguably been the best batter. 

On the tour to Zimbabwe, he was included in the T20 side and made his debut in the first match of the series at Harare. In the shortest format, he has left his imprint by helping the Indian team in ICC events most notably in the 2014 T20 World Cup in Bangladesh where he guided India to the finals. 

He has been an absolute legend in all the formats, especially in Test cricket, as his impact in the whites for India has been unparalleled both as a player and as a captain. He made his test debut in 2011 against West Indies and has been the mainstay since then.

The Overview

Virat Kohli’s influence on international cricket has been more than just brilliant stats. But his stats indicate the genius of this once-in-a-lifetime cricketer. He is the 4th highest run-scorer in the history of international cricket with 26,209 runs. Along with that, he is just behind Sachin Tendulkar in terms of centuries with 78 in his account. He will always stay in the collective conscience of cricket fans for his epoch-making contribution.