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Virat Kohli's Journey from Chubby Teenager to IPL Greatness Revealed
22 Aug
Summary
- Ross Taylor recalls first meeting a "chubby" Virat Kohli in 2008 IPL
- Kohli has since become IPL's all-time leading run-scorer with 8,661 runs
- Taylor believes Kohli and Sharma can decide their own international future
In a recent conversation, former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batter Ross Taylor recalled his first meeting with Virat Kohli back in the 2008 IPL season. At the time, Taylor described Kohli as a "very young 18 to 19-year-old, slightly chubby" cricketer, never anticipating the Indian right-hander's legendary status to come.
Kohli played 13 games for RCB in IPL 2008, scoring only 165 runs at an average of 15 and a strike rate of 105.09. Meanwhile, Taylor was an established star and played a key role in RCB's progress to the final in 2009. However, the New Zealand legend has since witnessed Kohli's meteoric rise, as the Indian great has gone on to become the IPL's all-time leading run-scorer with 8,661 runs at an average of 39.54 and a strike rate of 132.85 in 267 matches.
Kohli recently won his maiden IPL title with RCB in the 2025 edition. Taylor believes both Kohli and Rohit Sharma have earned the right to decide their future in international cricket, as long as their fitness and performances remain consistent. The duo have retired from T20I and Tests and are available only in the ODI format for Team India. However, recent reports have suggested that the aging superstars aren't certainties for the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa.
