Jay Shah, Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), congratulated the iconic batter Virat Kohli on completing 16 years in international cricket.
On this day in 2008, Kohli made his international debut in an ODI against Sri Lanka in Dambulla, just a couple of months after leading the Indian Under-19 team to World Cup victory in Kuala Lumpur.
“16 years ago today, a 19-year-old @imVkohli stepped onto the international stage for the first time, marking the beginning of what has become a truly legendary career. Congratulations to the King on completing 16 years in international cricket!” Shah wrote on ‘X’.
In his debut, Kohli opened the batting with current India head coach Gautam Gambhir, scoring 12 runs. He concluded his first international series with 159 runs in five matches, averaging 31.80.
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Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kohli’s IPL team since 2008, also congratulated him on ‘X’. “16 years of the King, and an eternity-old Kingdom of magic. All hail, all hail King Kohli. From debut to certified GOAT status. Through 16 years of relentless passion, Virat didn’t just play the game, he set the blueprint for a new perfect brand of cricket!”
Since his debut, Kohli has become a dominant force in international cricket. He has scored 13,906 runs in 295 ODIs and holds the record for the most centuries by a male batter in the format, with 50 centuries—27 of which were achieved during run-chases. Additionally, he has accumulated 8,848 runs in 113 Test matches and 4,188 runs in 125 T20Is.
Kohli’s accolades include winning the ODI World Cup in 2011, the Champions Trophy in 2013, and the T20 World Cup in 2024, after which he retired from T20Is. He also holds the record for the most wins by an Indian Test captain, with 40 victories in 68 matches.
