It’s official! Virat Kohli most searched cricketer in Google’s 25-year history

Team India’s superstar batter Virat Kohli is officially the most searched cricketer in the history of Google’s 25-year existence. The search engine giant confirmed the same through a special video on its social media handle.

Kohli, 35, is regarded as one of the great batters in the history of cricket. He is fourth on the list of all-time leading run-getters in international cricket. In 518 matches across formats, the right-handed batter has amassed 26,532 runs at an average of 54.36 with 80 hundreds and 138 half-centuries.

On Monday night, December 11, Google shared a video featuring a comprehensive list of the most searched topics in its 25-year-long history. The topics ranged from across genres - sports to entertainment and politics to viral trends.

The clip was shared on Google’s X handle with the caption:

“If the last 25 years have taught us anything, the next 25 will change everything. Here’s to the most searched moments of all time. #YearInSearch.”

While Kohli was the most searched cricketer, Portugal football legend Cristiano Ronaldo topped the list of most searched athletes, ahead of Argentina’s Lionel Messi. Not surprisingly, football also finished on top in the "most searched sport" list.

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Strength and conditioning coach hails Virat Kohli’s fitness levels

While Kohli is 35 years old, he is unarguably one of the fittest players in the Indian team. In fact, several current and former Indian cricketers have credited him for promoting a better fitness culture in the Indian team.

Kohli always passes with flying colors in the Yo-Yo test. Hailing his fitness levels and stamina, Ankit Katiyar, a strength and conditioning coach, recently told Times of India in an interview:

"Virat is a leading example when it comes to fitness. He has created a culture of fitness in the team. When your top player is so fit, then you become an example for others. He injects confidence in others. When he was the captain, he ensured everyone remained fit. Fitness was his top parameter in the team."

“He has created that culture and discipline in the team. That atmosphere was created by Virat bhai and it's a commendable thing. He is the reason why all the Indian players are so fit," Kathiyar, who has worked with Indian players in domestic cricket and the Indian Premier League, added.

Kohli finished as the leading run-getter in the 2023 ODI World Cup, smashing 765 runs in 11 matches at an average of 95.62 and a strike rate of 90.32.