Virat Kohli is an Indian international cricketer and the former captain of the Indian national cricket team. He is a right-handed batsman and an occasional medium-pace bowler. He currently represents Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL and Delhi in domestic cricket. Kohli is widely regarded as one of the greatest all-format batters of all time. He also holds the record for scoring the most centuries in ODI cricket and stands second in the list of most international centuries scored, and is highest run-scorer in the IPL. Kohli was a member of the Indian team that won the 2011 Cricket World Cup, 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, 2024 T20 World Cup and 2025 Champions Trophy. Under his captaincy India held the ICC World Test Championship Mace between 2016 and 2020, winning the end of season prize on three occasions.

Kohli has received many accolades for his performances in cricket. He won the ICC ODI Player of the Year award four times in 2012, 2017, 2018, and 2023. He also won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, given to the ICC Cricketer of the Year, on two occasions, in 2017 and 2018 respectively. In 2018, he became the first player to win both ICC ODI and Test Player of the Year awards in the same year. Also, he was named the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World for three consecutive years, from 2016 to 2018. At the national level, Kohli was honoured with the Arjuna Award in 2013, the Padma Shri in 2017, and India's highest sporting honour, the Khel Ratna award, in 2018. At different stages in his career, he has been ranked as the leading player in the ICC rankings in each international format.

In 2018, Time magazine included him on its list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Kohli has been deemed one of the most commercially viable athletes, with estimated earnings of ₹634 crore (US$75 million) in the year 2022.

Kohli was born on 5 November 1988 in Delhi into a Punjabi Hindu family. His mother Saroj Kohli is a homemaker while his father Prem Nath Kohli worked as a criminal lawyer. He has an elder brother Vikas and an elder sister Bhawna. His formative years were spent in Uttam Nagar. His early education was at Vishal Bharti Public School. As per his family, Kohli exhibited an early affinity for cricket as a 3-year-old. He would pick up a bat and request his father bowl to him. In 1998, the West Delhi Cricket Academy was created. In May, his father arranged for him to meet Rajkumar Sharma. Upon the suggestion of their neighbours, Kohli's father considered enrolling his son in a professional cricket academy, as they believed his ability merited more than gully cricket.

Kohli was unable to secure a place in the U-14 Delhi team, due to extraneous factors. His father reportedly received offers to relocate his son to influential clubs, which would ensure his selection, but he declined the proposals. Kohli eventually found his way into the U-15 team. He received training at the academy and participated in matches at the Sumeet Dogra Academy located at Vasundhara Enclave. To further his cricket career, he transferred to Saviour Convent School during his ninth grade. On 18 December 2006, his father died due to a cerebral attack. As per his mother, Kohli's demeanour shifted noticeably after his father's death. He took on cricket with newfound seriousness, prioritizing playing time and dedicating himself fully to the sport. Kohli's family resided in Meera Bagh, Paschim Vihar until 2015, after which they relocated to Gurgaon.

Kohli's junior cricket career kicked off in October 2002 at the Luhnu Cricket Ground against Himachal Pradesh. His first half-century in domestic cricket happened at Feroze Shah Kotla, where he scored 70 runs against Haryana. By the end of the season, he had amassed a total of 172 runs, emerging as the highest run-scorer for his side with an average of 34.40. During the 2003–04 season of Polly Umrigar Trophy, Kohli was appointed the captain of the U-15 team. He scored 54 runs in Delhi's victory over Himachal Pradesh. In the next fixture against Jammu and Kashmir, Kohli scored his maiden century with a score of 119. By the end of the season, he had a total of 390 runs at an average of 78, which included two centuries. Towards the end of 2004, Kohli earned selection for the 2004–05 Vijay Merchant Trophy with the Delhi U-17 team. In the four matches that he played, Kohli had a total of 470 runs, with his highest score being 251* runs. The team's coach, Ajit Chaudhary, lauded his performance and was particularly impressed with his temperament on the field. He commenced the 2005–06 season with a score of 227 against Punjab. Following their victory over Uttar Pradesh in the quarter-finals, Delhi was scheduled to play against Baroda in the semi-finals. The team had high expectations from Kohli, who had promised his coach to finish the job. True to his word, Kohli went on to score 228 runs, leading Delhi to victory. The team later secured the tournament with a five-wicket win over Mumbai, where he contributed with a half-century in the first innings. He ended as the highest run-scorer with a total of 757 runs from 7 matches, averaging 84.11.

On 18 February 2006, Kohli made his debut in List A cricket, playing against Services in the Ranji One-Day Trophy, but he did not get the opportunity to bat during the match. In 2006, Kohli got a spot in the state senior team. Subsequently, he made his first-class debut on 23 November 2006, during the opening match of the Ranji Trophy season against Tamil Nadu. However, his debut innings was a brief one, as he was dismissed after scoring ten runs. In the subsequent match against former champions, Karnataka, Delhi found themselves trailing with a score of 130/5, with Kohli remaining unbeaten on 40 at the end of the day's play. That night, Kohli's father died. Despite the heart-wrenching news, Kohli returned to the match and continued to bat and scored 90 runs before he was dismissed. Chetan Chauhan, the coach, was impressed by his determination and unwavering attitude in the face of adversity. Venkatesh Prasad lauded his crucial knock, which was executed in the midst of an emotional upheaval. After his dismissal, Kohli attended his father's funeral. His innings proved to be crucial for Delhi as they were able to avoid the follow-on. The team's captain, Mithun Manhas, praised Kohli for his performance, acknowledging its pivotal role in the team's success.

Kohli's foray into T20 cricket first happened in April 2007, during the Inter-State T20 Championship, where he emerged as the top run-getter for his team with a tally of 179 runs at an average of 35.80. In Sep 2008, Kohli played in Nissar Trophy against SNGPL. He emerged as the leading scorer for Delhi in both innings, registering 52 runs in the first innings and a towering 197 in the second. The match ultimately ended in a draw, SNGPL being declared the victors due to their lead in first innings. In the 2009–10 Ranji Trophy season, Kohli returned to domestic cricket. During a match against Maharashtra, he opened the batting and scored 67 runs, helping Delhi to secure the bonus point required for victory. Kohli's performance reinvigorated the competitive spirit of the domestic cricket circuit.

In July 2006, Kohli was selected in the India Under-19 squad on its tour of England. He averaged 105 in the three-match ODI series against England Under-19s, while also averaging 49 in the 3-match Test series. Following India U-19 success in both the ODI and Test series, the team's coach Lalchand Rajput noted Kohli's adeptness in facing both pace and spin bowling and expressed his admiration for his technical prowess. In September, the U-19 team toured Pakistan. In the first Test match, Kohli scored 63 and 28 as India won by 271 runs against Pakistan Under-19s. In the 2nd match, he contributed 83 runs to India's victory by 240 runs and an innings. He concluded the tour with 80 runs in the final ODI game at Lahore. In early 2007, Kohli was a part of the India U-19 team that toured New Zealand, where he scored 113 in the first Test match. The series ended in a draw. In the following month, the team travelled to Malaysia for a tri-series against England Under-19s and Sri Lanka Under-19s, where Kohli did not get many opportunities to bat. In July–August, India U-19 embarked on a tour for a tri-series against Sri Lanka Under-19s and Bangladesh Under-19s, where he did not score a half-century in any of the matches. He made a comeback with scores of 144 and an unbeaten 94 in the following Test series.

Kohli came into the limelight in 2008 when he led the team to victory in the U-19 World Cup. He led the Indian squad and won the 2008 U-19 World Cup held in Malaysia. He amassed 235 runs at an average of 47, ranking as the tournament's third-highest scorer and one of three cricketers to compile a century. His century, a knock of 100 runs off 74 balls, versus the West Indies Under-19s in a group stage encounter, was lauded by ESPNcricinfo, as "the innings of the tournament." This innings paved the way for India's 50-run triumph and fetched Kohli the man of the match award. Additionally, Kohli's all-round performance in the semi-final against New Zealand Under-19s, where he captured 2 wickets and contributed 43 runs in the run-chase, was core to India's victory. In the championship match, Kohli managed a score of 19 against South Africa Under-19s and his contribution lead to the eventual 12-run win (via D/L method).

In June 2008, Kohli and his U-19 teammates Pradeep Sangwan and Tanmay Srivastava were awarded the Border–Gavaskar scholarship. This scholarship, aimed at honing the skills of the chosen cricketers, provided an opportunity to train for six weeks at Cricket Australia's Centre of Excellence in Brisbane. In a bid to identify potential talent for the senior team, Kohli was selected to represent India Emerging Players in the Emerging Players Tournament 2008. His finest performance in the tournament was against New Zealand Emerging Players, where he played a knock of 120 runs, leading India to a seven-wicket victory. With an aggregate of 204 runs, Kohli's performances did not go unnoticed by the selectors who were observing his progress. He began his international cricket journey by joining the senior team in Colombo, having played 28 Under-19 ODIs and 12 Under-19 Tests.