DRIVEN The VIRAT KOHLI Story

  Most ODI runs in a calendar year by an Indian cricketer – 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 Highest combined international runs scored in a year by an Indian cricketer – 2818 international runs in 2017 Second Highest century by an Indian Most Test runs in 2018 by any cricketer Most ODI runs in 2018 by any cricketer Milestones reached by Virat Kohli Fastest Indian to reach 1000, 5000, 6000, 7000, 8000, 9000, and 10,000 runs in ODIs Fastest Indian and second fastest in the world to reach 10, 15, 20, and 25 centuries in ODIs The only batsman in history to average more than 50 in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is simultaneously Fastest in the world to reach 30 and 35 centuries in ODIs Second fastest in the world to reach 1,000 runs in T20Is First Indian cricketer to score three successive centuries in ODIs Fastest in the world to reach 15,000 international runs Fastest batsman to score 17,000 runs in international cricket (363 innings) First batsman to reach 6000 runs in IPL tournament V...

  Virat Kohli Records, Awards and Achievements  Virat Kohli is the only Indian batsman who got  890 rating points in the ICC ODI ranking . Previously  Sachin Tendulkar  got the best rating of 887 in 1998. Virat Kolhi has the record of having the  highest ICC rating points (922) in the ICC Player Rankings for Test Batsmen . Virat Kohli scored  six double centuries as a captain in test matches . He surpassed Cricket legend Brian Lara, who had five double centuries as a test captain. Virat Kohli has the  most number of 150+ scores as captain in Tests  – 9 times. Virat Kohli became the first player to hit  consecutive 3 centuries in against two opponents  (West Indies & Sri Lanka). Kolhi is the most successful Indian ODI captain.  Kohli’s success rate is 75.89% as a captain  which is better than  M.S. Dhoni . Virat Kohli scored more than  20,000 runs at an average of over 50 in all formats  -Test matches, On...

  Under -19 World Cup (2007) It was the first time the tournament was held in an Associate Member country. The 2008 Under-19 Cricket World Cup was held in  Malaysia  from 17 February to 2 March 2008. Along with hosts, 15 other teams battled in 44 matches packed into 15 days across three cities. India, still smarting from the loss in the previous edition had reason to be upbeat with Tanmay Srivastava, a mature batsman who eventually finished as the tournament's leading run-getter, in their ranks. Australia and England had forgettable campaigns, coming up short against the big teams after making mincemeat of the minnows. Defending champions Pakistan were fortuitous to reach the semi-finals as their batsmen never really got going and, against South Africa in the semi-finals, Pakistan had to chase 261. New Zealand, boosted by Man of the Tournament  Tim Southee , were impressive before losing to India in a narrow run-chase under lights and cloudy skies in the other semi-f...

  Ashish Nehra presents Virat with a memento at the end of a local tournament.  Virat's coach Raj Kumar Sharma can be seen behind him. Virendra Sehwag's first meeting  with Virat, who is introduced by the Delhi under-19 coach Ajit Chaudhary, at a Madras Cricket Club function.      Playing the square-cut at Ferozeshah Kotla in the Ranji Trophy match against Karnataka in 2006.     This was the day he reported to play after the death of his father.  

  One-Day Debut and Career T he grind of the summer cricket circuit in Delhi introduces a player to the harsh are made and marred in conditions best described as unfriendly. The local champions wait to maul the established stars and even stalwarts like Kapil Dev, Ashok Malhotra, N.S. Sidhu, Yashpal Sharma and Manoj Prabhakar have experienced it for years. Virat was groomed in such situations and it helped him shape his game. It trained him to fight tooth and nail. Moreover, nothing has been handed over to him on a silver platter. Raja Venkat recalled the Deodhar Trophy held at Baroda (March 2010), which North won under the captaincy of Virat. 'The way he led the team to victory showed that he had the capacity to command respect. The consistency factor was significant in his growth, but I have seen few players with such assurance and self-belief. And look how his batting has evolved from primarily on-side play to off-side. Of late, you can see him execute the sweep and the square cu...

  The Teacher's Day Gift  S eptember 5 is celebrated as Teacher's Day in India to mark the birthday of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, former President of India, and a renowned philosopher and statesman. The guru-shishya(master-pupil) tradition is an ancient one in India and still practised in some corners of the country. For Raj Kumar, his understanding of the importance of Teachers' Day had always come from his son Aviral and daughter Suhani narrating their experiences from the events at school. Until one morning in 2014, the Teachers' Day became unforgettable for Raj Kumar, thanks to someone very dear to him. Vikas stepped into the house ,dialled a number an handed his cell phone to Raj Kumar. 'Happy Teachers' Day Sir,' said Virat , even as Vikas thrust something into Raj Kumar's Palm - a bunch of keys. Raj Kumar stood perplexed as vikas requested him to step out of the house. A gleaming Skoda Rapid was parked at the gate - a gift from Virat to his ment...

  Boy to Man  T here was turmoil in Delhi Cricket. Some seniors were in the firing line of the state selectors as quite a few youngsters were waiting to break into the squad. There was discontent among the seniors. They felt their services to the team were being undermined, but the selectors insisted they had a job hand - to give Delhi cricket a push in the right direction. The last Ranji Trophy title had come home in 1992, when Delhi dashed Tamil Nadu's dreams in the final at the Ferozeshah Kotla. The pressure was on the seniors and the message was loud and clear - perform or make way for the youngsters. Vijay Dahiya, a Test wicketkeeper and a stalwart in the dressing room, was given a tough choice-announce retirement or face the axe. He chose to leave on his own terms, paving the way for Punit Bisht to assume the Wicketkeeper's role. 'It is always better to go out on a high. I don't wish to block a youngster's way and it is the best time to leave. I don't want...

  Making a Mark in Junior Cricket H aving missed the selection the first time, Virat worked furiously to force his way into the side. He was the most talked about young talent in Delhi, but the state selectors were not convinced. They were not sure if he was ready for stiffer challenges at the zonal level. However nothing could have been more preposterous. The mandarins at the Ferozeshah Kotla took time to discover Virat potential. Once his coach managed to swing their opinion, thanks to his dogged persistence, there was no stopping Virat as he prepared himself to chase his dreams. His Journey began in 2002 at the modest Luhnu Cricket Ground, in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh, with a Polly Umrigar Trophy match against the host. He batted fifty-nine balls and scored fifteen runs. He was obviously disappointed. Delhi umpire Devendra Sharma officiated in that game, with R.P. Singh, and had fond memories to share ."I can recall a few rousing drives that he played on the on side...

  Prologue H is batting is a masterclass in the art of making runs. He was born to entertain, inspired by a maestro who lit up the world of cricket with his astonishing deeds.  Sachin Tendulkar was the god of cricket, worshiped by his fans for enhancing India's image in a game that is a national obession. Virat Kohli arrived to carry the legacy forward in his inimitable style. Tendulkar was a cricketer's cricketer. So is Virat, a Phenomenon who has created a legion of frenzied followers in all formats of the game. The Early Years O ther than playing an aggressive game, the common thread that runs among Sehwag, Gambhir, Ashish Nehra, Dhawan , Ishant and Virat is that all of them hail from West Delhi, an area in the national capital where the struggle for space and recognition is that much more intense. Lack of Opportunities means youngsters have to jostle for a spot in the state squads that sets off a race, which often produces champions. Raman Lamba was a firm believer of this...

     Introduction W e hardly saw him in Delhi. He was constantly engaged in outstation cricket matches. Then his appearances became few and far between once he announced his prowess at the  national level. Virat Kohli is a talent that grew into a phenomenon, on the strength of self  -confidence that had one constant supporter his coach Raj Kumar Sharma.   When Virat was making news in Delhi's local circuit, not much attention was paid to his  exploits. I had known Raj Kumar from his playing days and it was through him that my  interest in this lad grew. His big scores were a consistent part of the circuit that was hugely  competitive, since Virat insisted on playing in the company of seniors. Raj Kumar's concern was what if he lost Virat to the sharks of the market. When India under-19 was playing a World Cup Final in Colombo in 2006, the team hotel was besieged by agents waiting to sign up the players with prospective commercial value. Raj K...