Virat Kohli, who began his senior international career in 2008 after winning the U-19 World Cup, has become one of cricket's greatest batsmen. Over his career, he has accumulated 9230 runs in 123 Tests, 14255 runs in 305 ODIs, and 4188 runs in 125 T20Is. He holds the record for most ODI centuries with 51 hundreds. Kohli won major ICC trophies including the 2011 ODI World Cup, Champions Trophy titles in 2013 and 2025, and the 2024 T20 World Cup. In the IPL, he leads as the highest run-scorer with 8661 runs across 267 matches, finally winning the title in 2025. A question often discussed is how his career might have unfolded had he played during the 2000s era alongside legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and Rahul Dravid, when bowling attacks were considered more challenging.
Impact of Playing in a Different Era
If Kohli had played during the 2000s, India's batting lineup would have been even stronger alongside stalwarts like Tendulkar, Ganguly, Dravid, and Laxman. That decade featured tougher pitches, fewer T20 matches, and legendary bowlers including Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Shoaib Akhtar, and Muttiah Muralitharan. India could have better challenged Australia's dominant team. However, establishing himself as one of the greatest might have been harder with Tendulkar commanding the spotlight. Yet Kohli's exceptional work ethic, fitness standards, and aggressive approach would have been revolutionary against less athletic contemporaries. His dedication to physical conditioning, now a hallmark of Indian cricket, could have transformed team fitness culture much earlier.
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