When Virat Kohli steps out to bat at the Eden Gardens today, his birthday, he will be chasing Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 One Day International tons. Here are some posers to test how well you know the run machine and the man himself, on and off the field.
MILESTONE MATTERS
Q1Virat Kohli might have debuted in India colours in August 2008 but in what way did his journey in international cricket start at Eden Gardens on December 24, 2009?
Q2Which has been Virat’s most productive year in terms of international centuries scored?
Q3Virat smashed an unbeaten 122 runs off 61 balls against Afghanistan during an Asia Cup T20I encounter at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on September 8, 2022. Why was the century extra special in his career?
Q4Virat Kohli became the highest run-scorer against West Indies in ODI cricket in August 2019 on reaching 19, when he took a single in the fifth over of the second ODI. Which Asian icon’s record did he break?
Q5Virat has scored seven double centuries in Tests, the most by an Indian. Who heads the international list?
ON THE GLOBAL STAGE
Q6 Virat Kohli is the third most-followed sportsperson on Instagram with 261 million followers, after Cristiano Ronaldo (610 million) and Messi (491 million) who lead the list across the board. Which sporting icon trails just behind him?
Q7 Virat Kohli’s massive fan following on social media has helped catapult cricket on to a global stage. Which stage are we talking of?
Q8 Virat Kohli is a huge football fan. Which player does he root for?
Q9The former Indian captain was recently hailed as the ‘Cristiano Ronaldo of cricket’ by Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batter Bhanuka Rajapaksa. Ahead of Thursday’s India-Sri Lanka clash in Mumbai, which former player showered even greater praise on him by making the following comment: “Virat is to cricket what LeBron James is to basketball and Ronaldo and Messi are to soccer. Obviously, soccer and basketball perhaps have a wider global following than cricket but if you calculate the numbers at home in India and the subcontinent, the exposure that Virat has gotten in cricket, he is that guy.”
Q10 A clip from a 2023 tennis match recently went viral on X (formerly Twitter) in which the TV commentator is heard comparing the player winning the point against Stefanos Tsitsipas at Roland Garros with Virat Kohli. Which player was the comparison being made with?
Q11Apart from being sports icons, what’s common to Rafael Nadal, Tom Brady, Didier Drogba, Sergio Perez and Virat Kohli?
OFF THE PITCH
Q12 “I love this book. A must-read for all those who are brave enough to let their thoughts and ideologies be challenged. The understanding and implementation of the knowledge in this book will change your whole perspective and life. Believe in the divine and keep marching on doing good deeds. #onelove #begrateful #helponeanother” Which book did Virat Kohli recommend in an Instagram post in February 2017?
Q13 What’s common to Aerocity, New Delhi; Mall Road, North Delhi; Golden Parkk, Calcutta; Juhu, Mumbai; The Mills, Pune; and Sector 66, Gurgaon?
Q14 What is Virat’s favourite dish on the One8 Commune menu?
Kishore Kumar
Q15 How can you link Virat Kohli, the entrepreneur, with Kishore Kumar?
Goblet Squat
Q16 Virat calls this his “go-to exercise for mobility plus strength”. What is the exercise called?
matkarforward
Q17 In 2020, Virat took part in a social media campaign with Ayushman Khurana, Kriti Sanon and Sara Ali Khan. What was it on?
Blue Jersey
Q18 In their first match of the second leg of the Indian Premier League held in Abu Dhabi in 2021, Virat’s team Royal Challengers Bangalore decided to wear light blue jerseys against Kolkata Knight Riders in place of their customary red jersey. What was the reason?
Q19 How is this animated figure connected to Virat Kohli?
Q20 In 2018, Virat had posted a video of his wife Anushka Sharma shouting at a man in another car from inside hers. What was she upset about?
Q21 Gaurs are Indian bisons, the tallest species of wild cattle found in India. How can you connect Virat to them?
MATTERS SENTIMENTAL
Q22 “We were playing a Ranji Trophy match against Karnataka. He was batting overnight, and he used to always pick me for the match. We used to go from Patel Nagar to Ferozshah Kotla. He was very serious (that day), and there was a video analyst with him. I asked him why he was so serious, but he did not reply. I gave him a tapli (a gentle knock) on the head. Then the other person told me that his father has expired. I did not know how to react. We were 17. He still batted and scored 80 runs as well. If something like that had happened to me, I don’t think I could even have gone to the ground.” Who is this teammate reminiscing about Virat?
Virat and Sachin
Q23When Sachin Tendulkar retired, what gift did Virat Kohli give him?
Q24 On October 31, 2022, an anguished Virat had posted: “I understand that fans get very happy and excited seeing their favourite players and get excited to meet them and I’ve always appreciated that. But this video here is appalling and it’s made me feel very paranoid about my privacy.” What was the video on?
Ziva
Q25Identify the little munchkin with Virat.
ANSWERS
MILESTONE MATTERS
A1He scored his first ton (107) in an One Day International match against Sri Lanka. Kohli could not reach three figures across formats in international cricket in his debut year. He played five matches and recorded a highest score of 54. But it was not till 2009 and Eden Gardens that the century happened. After two half-centuries in the year, Kohli ended 2009 with his maiden century in international cricket.
A2 2017 and 2018 (11 tons each in both years, in 46 and 37 matches respectively)
A3 It ended his drought of centuries in international cricket for 1,020 days. Also it remains his only century in T20 internationals.
A4 Javed Miandad. The Pakistan batting star took 64 innings to score 1,930 runs against West Indies whereas Virat Kohli reached the landmark in 34 innings. The record had stood for 26 years.
A5 Sir Donald Bradman (12). Kohli stands jointly in fourth position, also behind Kumar Sangakkara and Brian Lara.
ON THE GLOBAL STAGE
A6 Neymar Jr (216 million). In the overall list, the Brazilian footballer is at 20th while Virat is at 16th. Virat is also the first cricketer to have 50 million followers on X (formerly Twitter).
A7 Olympic Games. The Los Angeles edition in 2028, it was recently announced, will introduce cricket. “My friend here Virat (Kohli) is the third-most followed athlete in the world with 340 million followers on social media. That is more than Le Bron James, Tom Brady and Tiger Woods combined. This is the ultimate win-win-win for the LA28, the IOC and cricket community as cricket will be showcased on a global stage to grow beyond the traditional cricket countries,” Niccolo Campriani, Italy’s Olympic champion shooter and sports director at LA28, has said.
A8 Cristiano Ronaldo. “In my opinion, he (Ronaldo) has taken on more challenges and succeeded at all of them. He’s the most complete player I have seen and his work ethic, as I mentioned, is unmatched. He inspires people. I don’t think many people do that. He’s also a leader and I love that. Absolutely love it. He has amazing belief too,” Kohli has said in an interview with FIFA.com. The duo worked on a Herbalife campaign in 2014, during which Virat posted a video message on Ronaldo, for which the football star thanked him on social media.
A9 Ian Bishop, on Star Sports.
A10 Carlos Alcaraz. “It’s like watching Virat Kohli in cricket or Michael Jordan (in basketball). Really, he’s that special, so good, all you can do is smile,” the commentator says during the quarter-final match of the French Open.
A11 They are all team owners in the UIM E1 World Championship. In early October, Kohli announced his team Blue Rising. The world’s first all-electric raceboat championship, sanctioned by the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), the world governing body of powerboating, is scheduled to begin racing next year in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
OFF THE PITCH
A12 Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda
A13 They are all venues for One8 Commune, Kohli’s chain of restaurants, named after his jersey number.
A14 Mushroom Googly dumplings. Virat is now a vegetarian though he is not vegan.
A15The Mumbai branch of One8 Commune has come up at Gouri Kunj, the legendary singer’s bungalow.
A16 Goblet squats. The main difference between a traditional squat and a goblet squat is the addition of weights. In a goblet squat position, a dumbbell or a kettlebell is held at the chest. Since the weight is in front of the body it forces the practitioner to involve his core during the squat.
A17 Titled #Matkarforward, it was a TikTok India initiative against fake news that was creating havoc amid the pandemic.
A18 It was the colour of PPE kit worn by frontline workers as the team wanted to show support to them in the midst of the pandemic. The second leg of the tournament was held in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi in a bio bubble.
A19 This is Super V, an animated TV series loosely based on Virat Kohli which was created by Harman Baweja for Star India. It was launched on multiple Star Network and Disney India channels in November 2019.
A20 The man had thrown litter on the road while travelling in the car. “Saw these people throwing garbage on the road & pulled them up rightfully. Travelling in a luxury car and brains gone for a toss. These people will keep our country clean? Yeah right! If you see something wrong happening like this, do the same & spread awareness,” he wrote with the video, supporting his wife’s action.
A21 Virat Kohli is a joint owner of the Indian Super League club FC Goa, which is nicknamed The Gaurs.
MATTERS SENTIMENTAL
A22 Ishant Sharma
A23 The sacred thread that his father had given him. “This is the most valuable thing I have. My father gave this to me and I think I couldn’t give you anything more valuable and I just want you to know how much you have inspired me and what you mean to all of us. And this is my little gift to you,” Virat later recollected telling Tendulkar.
Tendulkar on his part recalled: “I kept that for a while and returned that to him. I said: ‘This is priceless. This has to stay with you and no one else. This is your property and you should have it till your last breath.’ And I gave it back to him. That was an emotional moment.”
A24 A fan had entered the Indian cricket legend’s hotel room in his absence in Perth during the T20 World Cup 2022 and posted a video of the room on a social media platform. Virat uploaded the post after India’s demoralising defeat to South Africa in the Super 12 stage. “If I cannot have privacy in my own hotel room, then where can I really expect any personal space at all?? I’m NOT okay with this kind of fanaticism and absolute invasion of privacy. Please respect people’s privacy and not treat them as a commodity for entertainment,” he continued in his post.
A25 Ziva, M.S. Dhoni’s daughter. “My reunion with Ziva. What a blessing to be around pure innocence,” he had captioned the Instagram video post, followed by namaste and heart emojis.