Virat Kohli: 16 Years of International Cricket Excellence

Virat Kohli, the star Indian batter, has etched his name among the greatest cricketers of all time. Since his international debut in 2008, Kohli has propelled Indian cricket to unprecedented heights with his exceptional batting prowess and record-breaking achievements.

Despite stepping down as T20I captain, Kohli remains on track to surpass Sachin Tendulkar's legendary feat of scoring 100 centuries in international cricket. Beyond his contributions to Team India, Kohli has been an integral part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) since its inception in 2008.

Despite RCB's consistent performances, they have yet to claim an IPL trophy. However, the franchise boasts a massive fan base, making it one of the most popular in the league. Recently, Kohli expressed his preference for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as his favorite rivals in the IPL, over five-time champions Mumbai Indians.

On Sunday, Kohli celebrated 16 years of international cricket. His debut came in an ODI against Sri Lanka in Dambulla in 2008, shortly after leading India to victory in the Under-19 World Cup.

BCCI secretary Jay Shah took to social media to congratulate Kohli on his milestone, stating, "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!"

In his debut match, Kohli opened the batting with current India head coach Gautam Gambhir and scored 12 runs. He concluded his maiden international series with 159 runs in five matches, averaging 31.80.

Since then, Kohli has evolved into a formidable batting force for India. In 295 ODIs, he has amassed 13,906 runs, including a record 50 centuries, 27 of which have come in run-chases. In 113 Test matches, he has accumulated 8,848 runs, while in 125 T20Is, he has scored 4,188 runs.

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