A remarkable journey from Dambulla
Virat Kohli made his international debut 18 years ago, on August 18, 2008, in an ODI match against Sri Lanka in Dambulla. At 19 years old, he opened the innings and scored 12 runs from 22 balls before being dismissed by Nuwan Kulasekara. India was bowled out for 146, and Sri Lanka won the match by eight wickets. This modest start preceded a career marked by numerous records and achievements.
Kohli’s journey began after captaining India to the Under-19 World Cup title. His early performances in domestic cricket for Delhi hinted at his potential, which he soon translated into consistent runs at the international level. Within a few years, he became a regular fixture across all formats of the game and a crucial player for India.
Career milestones and records
Over his 18-year career, Virat Kohli has accumulated over 28,000 international runs and 85 centuries. He is second only to Sachin Tendulkar in the total number of centuries scored. His career is also highlighted by significant contributions to India’s white-ball triumphs and major honours at both international and franchise levels.
A notable period in his career was the decade between 2010 and 2019, during which he scored 20,960 international runs. This tally is the highest by any player in a single decade, surpassing the records of players like Ricky Ponting, who scored 18,962 international runs in the 2000s, and Sachin Tendulkar, who made 14,197 runs in the 1990s.
Kohli’s 2018 season was particularly exceptional, as he scored 2,735 runs across 37 matches at an average of 68.37, including 11 centuries and nine fifties. In the same year, he became the only player to win the Cricketer of the Year, Test Player of the Year, and ODI Player of the Year awards from the ICC.
His ODI statistics include being the fastest player to reach 10,000 runs in the format, achieving this milestone in 205 innings. He also holds the record for scoring 995 runs in 10 successive ODI innings, which included five centuries. Furthermore, Kohli is the only Indian player to have scored international centuries on both Independence Day and Republic Day.
Performance in high-pressure situations
Virat Kohli’s ability to perform under pressure is a defining aspect of his career. He is the leading run-scorer in ICC white-ball tournaments, with 3,854 runs, six centuries, and 33 fifties. In the T20 World Cup, he has scored the most runs in the tournament’s history, with 1,292 runs.
In Test cricket, Kohli has achieved seven double centuries as captain, an Indian record. He reached these seven double hundreds in 1,176 days, a faster rate than Don Bradman. His prowess in chasing high totals in ODIs is also notable; in four ODI matches where India chased 350 or more, he scored 411 runs at an average of 205.50, contributing to India’s three wins in those games.
In the Indian Premier League (IPL), Kohli has had nine seasons with 500-plus runs, including four consecutive seasons with 600-plus runs from 2023 to 2026. His career, which began with a modest score of 12 in Dambulla, has evolved into one of the most celebrated in cricket history, marked by numerous records and significant contributions to his team’s success.
Source: indiatoday.in
