Rajkumar Sharma backs Virat Kohli for 2027 World Cup, says his place ‘should not be a discussion’

Kohli's form speaks for itself: Sharma

Rajkumar Sharma, Virat Kohli's childhood coach, dismisses speculation around the batter's future in ODI cricket ahead of the 2027 World Cup.

Top 3 ODI batters for India in 2026 so far

Top 3 ODI batters for India in 2026

Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been India's standout ODI run-scorers in 2026.

Rajat Patidar reveals Virat Kohli's backing gave him all the support he needed as RCB captain

Patidar: Kohli's backing was all I needed as RCB captain

Rajat Patidar has opened up about how Virat Kohli's support shaped his journey as RCB captain, with the side having won back-to-back IPL titles in 2025 and 2026.

'The best I ever saw in one-day cricket' - Glenn Maxwell hails Virat Kohli

Glenn Maxwell hails Virat Kohli as best ODI player

Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell named Virat Kohli as the finest one-day batter he has ever witnessed, citing his exceptional ability to time the ball and find gaps in the field.

When will Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli play for India next?

When will RoKo play for India next in ODIs?

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are expected to feature in India's upcoming ODI home series against West Indies starting September 27, 2026.

5 cricketers who prefer books over social media

From dugout readers to tour-time bibliophiles, these five cricketers have chosen pages over screens.

Kohli's absence cost India in Colombo, says Kaif

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif believes Virat Kohli's vocal leadership and aggressive presence would have changed the outcome of the second Test in Colombo.

'If Virat Kohli had been playing result would have been different in Colombo' - Mohammad Kaif explains why

'SENA countries will tell you your true capability' - Aakash Chopra compares Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli

Chopra compares Tendulkar and Kohli in SENA nations

Aakash Chopra breaks down Test statistics across South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia to assess the two batting greats.

'Pass on the weed, brother' - Dodda Ganesh mocks AB de Villiers over Sachin Tendulkar-Virat Kohli comparison

Dodda Ganesh mocks ABD over Tendulkar-Kohli comparison

Former India fast bowler Dodda Ganesh hit back at AB de Villiers after the South Africa great claimed Kohli surpassed Tendulkar in overseas Test conditions.

AB de Villiers says Virat Kohli was better than Sachin Tendulkar in Test cricket

AB de Villiers: Kohli better than Sachin in Tests

The South African batting legend compares the two Indian greats on their overseas Test performances and their influence on the next generation.

Show up and play your game, Virat Kohli told me at my lowest, says PV Sindhu

Kohli's advice transformed my career, says Sindhu

The badminton star credits the RCB captain with helping her through injuries and poor results at a critical juncture.

Virat Kohli motivated me, says RCB pacer Abhinandan Singh

The RCB pacer took 4 wickets for 30 runs in UPT20 League 2026 and credited the former India captain's mentorship during the IPL season.

Virat Kohli motivated me and helped me improve, says RCB pacer Abhinandan Singh

Jordan Cox hopes Virat Kohli advice will help him thrive in Test cricket for England

Cox hopes Kohli advice helps him thrive in Tests

The Kent batter steps up to number three for England against Pakistan at Headingley on August 19, 2026, replacing the injured Jacob Bethell.

How many batters have India tried at No. 3 after WTC Final 2023?

India’s No. 3 Search: Batters tried since WTC Final 2023

Let us take a look at the number of batters India tried at No.3 after World Test Championship Final 2023.

Ravichandran Ashwin predicts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will become IPL coaches in future

Ashwin on Rohit and Kohli as future IPL coaches

Ravichandran Ashwin believes Rohit Sharma should join Mumbai Indians in a coaching role after retirement, while Virat Kohli may prefer a break before taking up such responsibilities.

Performance over age for Rohit and Kohli: Harbhajan

The former India spinner backs the two veterans for the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

'Performance should be the marker, not age' - Harbhajan Singh on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for 2027 World Cup

Delhi

India

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

<h3>Introduction</h3>
<p>India cricket supporters have witnessed many great players, but few greater than Virat Kohli, who has reigned supreme in the cricket world with his incredible batting talent. Born on November 5, 1988, in Delhi to Prem Kohli, a criminal lawyer, and Saroj Kohli, a housewife, Kohli joined West Delhi Cricket Academy in 1998 and got trained under his coach Rajkumar Sharma.&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Career Information</h3>
<p><strong>Test Debut:</strong> West Indies vs India at Kingston, June 20-23, 2011</p>
<p><strong>ODI Debut:</strong> Sri Lanka vs India at Dambulla, August 18, 2008</p>
<p><strong>T20I Debut: </strong>Zimbabwe vs India at Harare, June 12, 2010</p>
<p><strong>IPL Debut:</strong> Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders, April 18, 2008</p>
<p>In 2006, Kohli made his List A debut for Delhi against Services at the age of 17. In November 2006, at 18, he made his maiden appearance in first-class cricket for his state. However, in 2008, he grabbed eyeballs as he led the India Under-19 team from the front to a title triumph in the <strong><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cwc-cricket-world-cup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Cup</a>.</strong></p>
<h3>International Debut:</h3>
<p>Following his impressive show for the junior side in the Under-19 World Cup, Kohli got selected in the ODI team for the Sri Lanka tour in 2008. On August 18, 2008, 19-year-old Kohli made his international debut in the first ODI against Sri Lanka and opened the innings with Gautam Gambhir. He was dismissed on 12 runs in his maiden international game.</p>
<h3>Earning a spot in the national squad:</h3>
<p>In 2010, the Indian team management backed Kohli despite his struggle with the bat in the back-to-back series. However, in the three-match ODI series against Australia at home, he notched up a century and earned the Player of the Match award in the second match in Visakhapatnam. During the home ODI series against New Zealand, Kohli hit a crucial match-winning century in the first game in Guwahati.</p>
<p>Appearing in the 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka in Mumbai, Kohli’s crucial 83-run stand with Gautam Gambhir helped India in a memorable triumph. In June 2011, Kohli received a Test cap as he made his first appearance in the longest format of the game in the first match against the West Indies in Kingston.</p>
<p>In December 2011, he went to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and emerged as the leading run-scorer for India. Playing the final game at the Adelaide Oval, he also scored his maiden century against the Aussies. In 2012, Kohli won the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year award after becoming the top scorer in 2011.&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Captaincy Career:</h3>
<p>In the absence of the regular skipper <strong><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/ms-dhoni" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MS Dhoni</a></strong>, due to an injury, Kohli captained the side in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2014-15. On the bouncy track of Adelaide Oval, he exuded confidence as a batter with his twin centuries (115 and 141)..&nbsp;</p>
<p>In the second innings, Kohli’s elegant innings gave the Aussies a headache as the visitors looked set to chase 364 with ease before a dramatic batting collapse. India lost the distinguished four-match Test competition by a 2-0 margin but for Kohli, it was a perfect series as he became the leading run-scorer for India, scoring 692 runs with four centuries and a half-century in eight innings.&nbsp;</p>
<p>After MS Dhoni’s retirement from Test cricket in December 2014, Kohli got the reins of the Test captaincy. From 2015-17, the Indian Test team looked in magnificent form under him. Thrashing the quality teams such as South Africa, New Zealand, England, and Australia, India became a dominant side at home.</p>
<p>After leading India for 10 years in white-ball cricket, MS Dhoni stepped down as a skipper. Filling the shoes of the veteran, Kohli took the mantle of captaincy with the three-match ODI series against England at home. Leading the ODI team for the first time as a full-time skipper, he secured a 2-1 win against the visitors.&nbsp;</p>
<p>As an ODI captain, Kohli faced one of the major blows in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 as India got hammered by the arch-rivals Pakistan in the final. However, after the infamous defeat, he created history with his captaincy skills as the Indian team achieved immense success not only at home but also overseas. In February 2018, Kohli and his men pummelled the Proteas by a 5-1 margin and tasted their maiden ODI series win in South Africa.</p>
<p>In 2018-19, India achieved success in winning a Test series in Australia for the first time. After more than two years of the spectacular journey under the veteran’s leadership, India played some brilliant cricket in the 2019 World Cup as well. However, New Zealand handed an 18-run defeat to the Men in Blue in the semi-final and shattered their dream of lifting the trophy.</p>
<p>During his captaincy stint, Kohli came under fierce criticism for not winning any major trophies for the nation. In 2021, the ICC Test Championship final loss and the embarrassing <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20-world-cup" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>T20 World Cup</strong></a> campaign made the matter worse. After the T20 World Cup 2021, he relinquished the shortest format’s captaincy. In January 2022, Kohli stepped down as India’s captain from ODI and Tests as well.</p>
<h3>IPL Career:</h3>
<p>In 2008, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) roped in Virat Kohli for INR 12 lakh at the auction. &nbsp;Since the maiden season of the tournament, he has been a vital cog in the team due to his incredible batting potential. After serving the franchise efficiently for five seasons, he got the captaincy mantle in 2013. In 2016, Kohli had the best <strong><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IPL</a></strong> season as he looked effective with the bat, becoming the highest run-scorer in the competition with a record 973 runs in the season, including four centuries.. However, with captaincy, he couldn’t help the team to win their maiden title losing to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the final. In 2021, he left the captaincy after leading the franchise for nine seasons.&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Virat Kohli Personal Life:</h3>
<p>In 2013, Virat Kohli started dating Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma. His relationship with the diva got a lot of media attention. On December 11, 2017, both got married in a private ceremony in Florence, Italy. After more than three years of marriage, the couple became parents as they welcomed a daughter, Vamika, in Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital.</p>

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Virat Kohli