Virat Kohli

An attacking player with a cool head, Virat Kohli has already earned a reputation as a level-headed and mature cricketer. Batting at his favourite No. 4 position, he has a penchant for converting his fifties into big scores, as he showed in 2005 when he single-handedly took Delhi from 70 for 4 to a first-innings lead with 251 off 431 balls against Himachal Pradesh in the Under-17 championships. Kohli made his first-class debut for Delhi in the 2006-07 Ranji Trophy and in January 2008 was named captain of the Indian U-19 squad for the 2008 World Cup. He contributed 235 runs and became the second Indian U-19 captain to bring home the World Cup as he led India’s unbeaten campaign in Malaysia. He was included in India’s squad for the one-day series in Sri Lanka in August 2008 and the Champions Trophy to follow in Pakistan. Kohli was handed a debut in the opening match of the Sri Lanka series as a replacement for the injured Virender Sehwag, and finished the five-match contest as the fourth-highest run-getter with 159.