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The day that a teenage Virat Kohli made his Team India debut internationally was August 18, 2008. As it was his maiden ODI match, India fielded a young team that included Rohit Sharma and rookie Kohli. He made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka 16 years ago.
During their tour of Sri Lanka, India batted first in the first One-Day International (ODI) match at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium. India was remarkably restrained in the game’s opening innings by Sri Lanka’s pace attack. In the first 12 overs of the match, the visitors were reduced to a score of 36/3. Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli tried to steady the Indian team’s innings during a problematic one.
With his exquisite technique, Kohli appeared ready for an unforgettable start. However, Nuwan Kulasekara’s outstanding delivery soon countered and confused Kohli, cutting his innings short. The umpire promptly lifted his finger in response to the Sri Lankan players’ appeal, ending Kohli’s debut on a score of just 12 runs. Not long after his unimpressive debut, Kohli capitalised on his subsequent opportunities.
16 years ago today, a nervous 19 year old Virat Kohli Played his 1st International match & the rest is a glorious history. pic.twitter.com/UvoIgoYT24
— Gaurav (@Melbourne__82) August 17, 2024
Over his next four games, the youthful batter scored crucial runs, highlighted by an outstanding fifty. For the dynamic athlete, the sky has always been the limit. Now, sixteen years later, Kohli has cemented his place in history as one of the greatest hitters of all time.
Every format that Kohli has played in throughout the years has shown his dominance. With 295 ODI appearances under his belt, 13,906 runs scored, and an average of 58.18 runs, Kohli is 35 years old. In addition, he has scored 8,848 at an average of 49.15 in 113 Test matches for India thus far.
Also Read: The history of Virat Kohli’s terrifying 60-over spell at the Lord’s
With 4,188 runs scored in 125 matches, he has outstanding T20I cricket numbers as well. Because of his outstanding play both on and off the pitch, Kohli continues to inspire the next generation.
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