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.
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.
Early life
Kohli was born on 5 November 1988 in Delhi into a Punjabi Hindu family. His mother Saroj Kohli
is as a housewife 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.[4] 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.
[5]
In 1998, the West Delhi Cricket Academy was created. In May, his father arranged for him to
meet Rajkumar Sharma.[6] 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.[7] He 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.[8] He received training at the academy and participated in matches at the Sumeet
Dogra Academy located at Vasundhara Enclave.[9] In pursuit of furthering his cricketing career,
he transferred to Saviour Convent School during his ninth-grade education.[7] On 18 December
2006, his father died due to a cerebral attack.[10] 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.[7] Kohli's family resided in Meera
Bagh, Paschim Vihar until the year 2015, after which they relocated to Gurgaon.[11]
Youth career
Delhi team
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.[12] 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.[13] During the 2003–04 season of Polly Umrigar Trophy, Kohli was appointed the captain of
the U-15 team.[13] 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.
[14]
Towards the end of 2004, Kohli earned selection for the 2004–05 Vijay Merchant Trophy with
the Delhi U-17 team.[13] 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.[15] 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.
[16]
He ended as the highest run-scorer with a total of 757 runs from 7 matches,
