No cricket fanatic in the world can claim to be unaware of the current India captain's name. Born and brought up in the Indian capital city of New Delhi, Kohli emerged on the international radar after leading India to the title win at the ICC U19 World Cup in 2008. However, Kohli didn't exactly announce himself at the highest level till 2012 - four years after his debut - when in Australia he hit his maiden Test century (116) in Adelaide. By the end of that tour Kohli had also shown the world just how good a batsman he could become when his 86-ball-133 helped India chase down a mammoth 330 in less than 40 overs against Sri Lanka in the triangular series. Since then he hasn't looked back and has grown from strength to strength by proving his prowess all over the world. Having hit centuries on tough away tours Kohli improved his shorter format game several notches especially with the help of the IPL, where in 2016 he smacked a record 973 runs! A established chaser of totals, he has hundreds in all Test playing nations - except Bangladesh and Zimbabwe - where he has played just a single match. He is also a World Cup winner(2011) and was adjuged the Player of the Tournament at the 2014 ICC World T20. Being counted amongst the four great batsmen of the modern age along with Steven Smith, Kane Williamson and Joe Root, Kohli's meteoric rise over the past couple of years has seen him rise above everyone else in the art of batting. He is the only batsman yet to average more than 48 in all formats of the game and after his exploits in England in the summer of 2018, he has proved that he is the best batsman across the globe under any given conditions. For his exploits on the field he has also been awarded the country's highest sports honour - Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 2018. But with the accolades there also have been questions regarding team selection and his aggressive mindset resulting in failures to win tough series overseas. The fact remains though that just like his runs, there are many more Indian victories to come under his leadership and only time will tell how great a legacy Captain Kohli will leave behind. But regarding his batting skills, it's safe to assume that the debate has been settled for now. There is only one Kohli and he sits right at the top.
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Expressing gratitude towards his teammates and the Indian board, the 32-year-old said that he feels honoured to be a part of the illustrious list.
Following the eight-wicket win, Virat Kohli took to Twitter to congratulate the Indian team and Ajinkya Rahane for his captaincy.
The ICC bestowed the award upon the 32-year-old for his stellar batting record during the period.
Kohli also featured in all three Teams of the Decade announced by the ICC on Sunday.
In an impressive international career so far, Kohli has gathered 12040 runs in ODIs, 7318 runs in Tests and 2928 runs in T20 Internationals, averaging more than 50 across the three formats.
Indian skipper Virat Kohli also won the ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Decade Award.
Rahane was unbeaten on 104 while all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was with him at the crease on 40 as the two built a century stand for the sixth wicket.
On the second day of Boxing Day clash, Rahane flaunted his textbook technique to become the 10th Indian captain to score a centuy in Test cricket history.
Apart from Dhoni, the T20I team also comprises current India captain Virat Kohli, opener Rohit Sharma and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.
The Indian bowling unit, led by Jasprit Bumrah, bundled out the hosts for a modest total of 195 in the first innings.
In Pakistan's defence of 338 in the summit clash, Amir's bowling show made the difference as he dismissed India's top three -- Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
Rahane admits on being at fault for running out Kohli in the first Test when the Indian skipper was just 26 runs away from his first century of the year.
From Sehwag's 195 to Bumrah's 6-for, the Boxing Day Test has served fans with many memorable moments over the past few decades.
Even though CSK had their worst Indian Premier League (IPL) season in 2020, the MS Dhoni-led side was seemingly on everyone's mind on Twitter as it was the most tweeted team during the course of the tournament.
Rahane will lead Team India in the last three Tests as Kohli has left for home on paternity leave.
The head coach acknowledged the strength Australian bowling unit but said they are doing some work on their batting and fielding.
Kohli left home to be with his wife and Bollywood actor, Anushka Sharma, for the birth of their first child.
In fact, Rahul and Kohli are the only two Indians to feature in the top-10 list of players rankings in all three categories -- batsman, bowlers and all-rounders.
Kohli is coming back to India for the birth of his first child in January.
Kohli's 74 was the highest score by any batsman on either side in the first innings of the pink-ball day/night Test.
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