The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary, Jay Shah, congratulated legendary batsman Virat Kohli on reaching the 16-year mark in his international career.
On this day in 2008, just a few months after being named the Under-19 World Cup winning captain in Kuala Lumpur, Kohli made his debut in international cricket in India’s ODI match against Sri Lanka at Dambulla.
“Today marks 16 years ago, when a 19-year-old @imVkohli made his debut on the global stage, ushering in a career that has since become genuinely legendary. Greetings on the King’s 16-year career in international cricket! Shah on ‘X’ was written.
Alongside current India head coach Gautam Gambhir, Kohli opened the batting in his debut international match but only managed to score 12 runs. At an average of 31.80, he finished his first international series with 159 runs in five games.
The batting star’s IPL team since 2008, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, also praised Kohli on ‘X’ for reaching the milestone of 16 years in international cricket. A magical kingdom that has existed for eternity, and 16 years of the King. King Kohli, all hail, all hail. From the premiere to the GOAT designation. Virat not only played the game for 16 years with unwavering dedication, but he also created the framework for a brand-new, flawless style of cricket!
With 13,906 runs amassed in 295 ODIs, Kohli has now established himself as India’s most prolific batsman. He currently holds the record for the most centuries by a male batter in the format with 50, 27 of which have come during run chases. In addition, he has scored 4,188 runs in 125 Twenty20 Internationals and 8,848 runs in 113 Test matches.
After winning the Champions Trophy in 2013, the ODI World Cup in 2011, and the T20 World Cup in 2024, Kohli announced his retirement from the shortest format. As the team won 40 of 68 games with Kohli leading the way, he also holds the record for the most victories by an Indian Test captain.