Youth Career

Delhi Team

In October 2002, Kohli began his junior cricket career at the Luhnu Cricket Ground against Himachal Pradesh. His first half-century in domestic cricket came at the Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, where he scored 70 runs against Haryana. By the end of the season, he had accumulated a total of 172 runs at an average of 34.40, emerging as his team’s highest run-scorer. In the 2003–04 season, Kohli was appointed captain of the Under-15 team. In a win against Himachal Pradesh, he scored 54 runs. In the next match against Jammu and Kashmir, Kohli scored his first century, making 119 runs. By the end of the season, he had amassed 390 runs at an average of 78, including two centuries.

Later in 2004, Kohli was selected to play for Delhi's Under-17 team in the 2004–05 Vijay Merchant Trophy. In the four matches he played, he scored a total of 470 runs, with his highest score being an unbeaten 251*. His performance was praised by team coach Ajit Chaudhary, who was particularly impressed by Kohli’s temperament on the field.

In the 2005–06 season, Kohli started with a score of 227 runs against Punjab. After a win against Uttar Pradesh in the quarterfinals, Delhi was set to play Baroda in the semifinals. There were high expectations from Kohli, who promised his coach he would "finish the job." True to his word, Kohli scored 228 runs, leading Delhi to victory. The team later secured the tournament title by defeating Mumbai by five wickets, with Kohli contributing a half-century in the first innings. He finished the tournament as the highest run-scorer, with 757 runs at an average of 84.11 across seven matches.

On February 18, 2006, Kohli made his List A debut in the Ranji One-Day Trophy against Services, although he did not get a chance to bat during the match. Later that year, Kohli was selected for the state senior team. On November 23, 2006, he made his first-class debut in the opening match of the Ranji Trophy season against Tamil Nadu. However, his debut innings was brief, as he was dismissed after scoring just 10 runs.

In the following match against former champions Karnataka, Delhi was struggling at 130/5 by the end of the day's play, with Kohli unbeaten on 40. That night, his father passed away. Despite the heartbreaking news, Kohli returned to play the next day and scored 90 runs before being dismissed. Coach Chetan Chauhan was deeply impressed by Kohli's resilience and determination in the face of adversity. Venkatesh Prasad also praised Kohli’s crucial innings, accomplished amid such emotional turmoil. After getting out, Kohli attended his father's funeral. His innings proved vital for Delhi as it helped them avoid a follow-on. Team captain Mithun Manhas praised Kohli's performance and acknowledged its significant contribution to the team's success.

Kohli made his Twenty20 debut in April 2007 during the Inter-State T20 Championship, where he emerged as Delhi’s highest run-scorer with 179 runs at an average of 35.80. In September 2008, Kohli played in the Nissar Trophy against SNGPL. He scored 52 runs in the first innings and a massive 197 runs in the second innings, becoming Delhi's highest scorer in the match. Although the match ended in a draw, SNGPL was declared the winner based on a first-innings lead.

In the 2009–10 Ranji Trophy season, Kohli returned to domestic cricket. In a match against Maharashtra, he opened the batting and scored 67 runs, helping Delhi secure the bonus points needed for victory. Kohli's performance reinvigorated the competitive spirit of the domestic cricket circuit.

India Under-19 Team

In July 2006, Kohli was selected for India’s Under-19 team for the tour of England. In the three-match ODI series against England Under-19, he averaged 105, and in the three-match Test series, he averaged 49. After the Under-19 team’s success in both the ODI and Test series, coach Lalchand Rajput praised Kohli’s skills in both pace and spin bowling, and commended his technical proficiency.

In September, the Under-19 team toured Pakistan. In the first Test match, Kohli scored 63 and 28 runs, helping India to a 271-run victory against Pakistan Under-19. In the second match, he contributed 83 runs to India’s innings and 240-run win. In the final ODI match held in Lahore, he scored 80 runs, finishing the tour on a high note.

In early 2007, Kohli was part of the India Under-19 team touring New Zealand, where he scored 113 runs in the first Test. The series ended in a draw. The following month, the team traveled to Malaysia for a tri-series against England Under-19 and Sri Lanka Under-19, although Kohli didn’t get much opportunity to bat.

In July–August, India Under-19 toured for another tri-series against Sri Lanka Under-19 and Bangladesh Under-19, during which Kohli failed to score any half-centuries. However, in the subsequent Test series, he made a strong comeback, scoring 144 and an unbeaten 94.

Kohli came into the spotlight in 2008 by leading India to victory in the Under-19 World Cup. Captaining the Indian team, he won the 2008 Under-19 World Cup held in Malaysia. Kohli scored 235 runs at an average of 47, becoming the tournament’s third-highest run-scorer and one of only three players to score a century. His century against the West Indies Under-19 team — 100 runs off 74 balls — was praised by ESPNcricinfo as "the innings of the tournament." This innings paved the way for India’s 50-run win and earned Kohli the Player of the Match award.

Additionally, in the semifinal against New Zealand Under-19, Kohli’s all-round performance — taking two wickets and contributing 43 runs while chasing — was crucial to India’s victory. In the championship match against South Africa Under-19, Kohli scored 19 runs, helping India secure a 12-run win (via the Duckworth–Lewis method).

In June 2008, Kohli, along with his Under-19 teammates Pradeep Sangwan and Tanmay Srivastava, was awarded the Border-Gavaskar scholarship. This scholarship provided six weeks of training at Cricket Australia's Centre of Excellence in Brisbane to further develop their skills.

Aiming to identify potential talents for the senior team, Kohli was selected to represent India’s Emerging Players at the 2008 Emerging Players Tournament. His standout performance came against New Zealand Emerging Players, where he scored 120 runs and led India to a seven-wicket victory. Scoring a total of 204 runs in the tournament, Kohli caught the attention of selectors closely monitoring his progress.

He began his international cricket journey by joining the senior team in Colombo, having played 28 Under-19 ODIs and 12 Under-19 Tests.

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