How Virat Kohli's records and legendary status have been growing with each passing year

2011

First World Cup match and a century. The then 22-year-old Virat Kohli literally forced everyone to take note of him and proved that he has nerves made of steel. Being a part of the World Cup-winning side with such big names surely taught him a lot as for the first time he crossed the 1000-run mark in a calendar year in ODIs.

Kohli also took a step up to the purest form of sport, Test Cricket. On 20 June 2011, against West Indies at Sabina Park in Kingston, he made his debut, not a very great one but the expectations were slowly and steadily gaining pace.

In the IPL that year, the Delhi lad crossed 500 runs and was the second-highest run getter after Chris Gayle in the tournament. However, the duo failed to help RCB clinch their first IPL title, something that has eluded them in the subsequent years as well.

Format	Matches	Runs	Average	Strike Rate	HS	100	50
ODIs	34	1381	47.62	85.56	117	4	8
Test	5	202	22.44	-	63	0	2
T20Is	4	61	15.25	117.30	28	0	0
IPL	16	557	46.41	121.08	71	4	0

2012

Virat’s average in the ODIs sky-rocketed in the year 2012 as he started going the distance after getting a good start. That he struck 5 centuries and 3 half-centuries are a testament to the fact. He scored an astonishing 1026 runs in just 17 ODIs at a swashbuckling average of 68.40.

However, he made the headlines on 24 January 2012 at the Adelaide Oval. India had already lost the test series after Australia completely dominated them in the first three tests. Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke scored double-centuries and the hosts posted a huge total of 604 runs on the board.

The Indian batsmen were falling like a pack of cards and when Virat came out to bat at number 6, all the Indian greats barring Laxman were already back in the pavilion.

Kohli took the fight to the Australians, he held one end and scored his maiden Test century, a gritty 116 runs and was the last Indian batsman to get out. Though India went on to lose the match but the 23-year-old had shown that he can carry the burden of the team once we lose the golden generation of batsmen.

His performances in the T20Is also saw a considerable amount of improvement that year as he struck four half-centuries and scored at an average of 39.25.

Format	Matches	Runs	Average	Strike Rate	HS	100	50
ODIs	17	1026	68.40	93.78	183	5	3
Test	9	689	49.21	-	116	3	3
T20Is	14	471	39.25	132.67	78*	0	4
IPL	16	364	28.00	111.65	73*	0	2

2013

For the third year running, Kohli crossed the 1000-run mark in ODIs. This was the time when people started comparing him with the greatest of batsmen who graced the game. Virat was scoring runs left, right and centre and the world stood in awe applauding his brilliance.

He scored a test century in South Africa, leading the batting line-up of a new-look Indian test team. The RCB batsman got 634 runs in the IPL as well, the third highest run-getter in the edition after Gayle and Mike Hussey.

However, sterner tests were waiting for him as India were to tour New Zealand, England and Australia next year.