Happy Birthday Virat Kohli: Celebrating the Records, Milestones, and Legacy of India’s Cricket Icon

Happy Birthday, Virat Kohli! This warrior of modern-day cricket in India turns 37 today, November 5, 2025, and is one of the most celebrated athletes in the world. Kohli is undefeated in consistency, fiery in his determination, and his leadership marked a new dawn in Indian cricket; hence, he sits alongside the greats of the game — many consider him to be the true torchbearer of Sachin Tendulkar.

🏏A Journey Built on Passion and Perseverance

He was born and raised in Delhi, where his cricket tale was one of hard work, struggle, and determination. From his earliest years, his father, Prem Kohli, based his teaching on the foundation of honesty and integrity — values that would help shape Virat's approach toward the game.

The year 2008 put Kohli on the national map. He had captained India to a victorious campaign in the ICC Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia. Later the same year, he made his international debut against Sri Lanka. The meteoric rise followed: Kohli's hunger for runs, his enormous discipline, and mental toughness soon made him a regular in the Indian batsmen lineup.

One of the defining moments in Kohli's career came from a domestic match early in his career. After the death of his father in 2006, the 18-year-old chose to bat in a Ranji Trophy match for Delhi and scored a gutsy 90, underscoring his commitment and emotional strength.

🌟 From Young Prodigy to Indian Captain

Over the years, Kohli metamorphosed from a gifted youngster to the most successful Indian captain at the moment. Having assumed captaincy in 2014, he achieved 40 Test wins in 68 matches-the most by any Indian captain in Test cricket. Being aggressive and fitness-centric, he shaped and changed the culture of Indian cricket along with

generating a whole generation of cricketers who aspired to be like him.

Historically, under his captaincy, India won some series, the Test wins in Australia (2018-19) being some of the class apart, and maintained regular dominance at home.

📊 Virat Kohli Career Stats (As of 2025)

Tests:

Matches: 111 | Runs: 9,230 | Average: 46.85 | 100s: 30 | Highest: 254*

ODIs:

Matches: 305 | Runs: 14,255 | Average: 57.71 | Strike Rate: 93.26 | 100s: 51

T20Is:

Matches: 125 | Runs: 4,188 | Strike Rate: 137.04 | 100s: 1 | 50s: 38

IPL:

Matches: 267 | Runs: 8,661 | Strike Rate: 132.85 | 100s: 8

🏆 Records & Achievements

Most ODI centuries (51) and first player to take that position past the 49 centuries held by Sachin Tendulkar in the semis of the 2023 World Cup against New Zealand.

Second-highest ODI run-scorer in history after surpassing Kumar Sangakkara (14,234 runs).

The fourth-highest Test run-getter in India, behind Tendulkar, Dravid, and Gavaskar.

India's most successful Test captain with 40 wins in 68 matches.

Highest run-scorer in the IPL history - the first player to cross 8,000 runs in the tournament.

2024 T20 World Cup Champions: He waved goodbye to T20Is on a winning note.

💬 Legacy Beyond Numbers

Extending far beyond his records, Kohli's influence goes much further than the eating field. The concept of fitness, emotional strength, and leadership was completely redefined by him for an Indian athlete. Many youngsters, both in the national setup and in the IPL, credit him as their biggest inspiration.

The partnership between Kohli and Anushka Sharma made him one of the most admired public figures in India. They are still very active in pushing causes ranging from child welfare to animal rights.

🎂 A Legend Who Continues to Inspire

At 37, he indeed remains up there as one of the fittest and most driven athletes of modern-day cricket. While the fans, teammates, and legends celebrate that magnificent journey he had, the one thing remaining untaken away is that the shining legacy of a cricketing icon, a leader, and an inspiration of Virat Kohli is there to stay on for generations to come.