Five unknown facts about Virat Kohli

He dazzled Indian cricket for the better part of the last two decades, winning hearts and minds with his spectacular batting and skillful captaincy. He was at the centre of Indian cricket and had a special place in the hearts of millions of Indians. He augmented the stature of Indian cricket with his aggressive brand of play and enigmatic aura, making thousands of people fall in love with the gentleman’s game once again. 

Virat Kohli recently retired from Test cricket, drawing the curtains on an illustrious 14-year career. He’ll still be seen in the ODI format where his key focus would be on the 2027 World Cup in South Africa. Actively playing or not, Virat Kohli always creates a buzz around him. The most followed cricketer on social media though still has plenty of unknown things about him. 

Here’s a list of five unknown facts about Virat Kohli: 

1. Virat Kohli got a wicket off his zeroth ball in T20Is

An extraordinary feat that is very unlikely to be replicated, Virat Kohli claimed a wicket in T20I cricket without bowling a legal delivery. In a T20I game against England in 2011, Virat Kohli came in to bowl after the 8th over for the first time in T20Is. Bowling to Kevin Pietersen, Virat Kohli slipped one delivery down the leg side, and as the batter slightly lost his balance MS Dhoni whipped out the bails. While the umpire signalled wide, Pietersen was out stumped and thus Virat Kohli became the first bowler to pick up a wicket off his zeroth ball, as his figures read 0.0-0-1-1. 

2. Virat Kohli co-owns the football club FC Goa

In 2014, Virat Kohli became the co-owner of Indian Super League club FC Goa. He has a minority stake of 12% in FC Goa, and has had a say in the running of affairs at the franchise ever since. Virat Kohli became the first active cricketer to invest in a football franchise, joining the list of ex-cricketers like Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar. 

3. Only Indian to score 3 consecutive centuries in ODIs

In 2019, Virat Kohli added a unique cricketing record to his kitty, as he became the first and only Indian to score hundreds in 3 consecutive ODIs. He achieved that record against the West Indies, as he scored hundreds in all three matches to join an elusive list that includes only Zaheer Abbas and Quinton de Kock (players who have a hat-trick of centuries). Virat Kohli amassed 397 runs in that series against the Windies, which is the most ever scored by an Indian batter in a three-match bilateral series. In the same series, Kohli also became the fastest to reach 10000 ODI runs and notched up his 38th century. 

4. Virat Kohli is a strong advocate for vegan foods

In 2018, Virat Kohli decided to turn vegetarian mainly to address health issues and a cervical spine issue. Since then, however, there has been no going back for the former Indian skipper. He and his wife, Anushka Sharma, are now strong advocates for veganism and vegan diets. As fond animal lovers, they have been very vocal about their stance on veganism, encouraging many others to follow suit. In 2019, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma became brand ambassadors for Blue Tribe - a plant-based meat alternative brand. Virat Kohli has been one of the most agile and athletic cricketers of this Indian team, shedding the myth that non-veg is necessary for protein intake. 

5. Virat Kohli took the wicket of Kane Williamson in the 2008 U19 WC semis

Virat Kohli is primarily known for his batting exploits and match-winning prowess, but did you know that he had a telling contribution with the ball very early in his career? In the 2008 U-19 World Cup semi-final, India were up against New Zealand. In a tightly contested game, New Zealand’s then U19 skipper Kane Williamson was looking solid at 37 before Kohli came on to bowl and got him stumped. Virat Kohli scored a crucial 43 as well in the chase, claiming the Man of the Match accolade for his all-round performance in that semi-final. India then went on to beat South Africa in the finals.