Forever grateful: Virat shares Insta-post celebrating 16th anniversary in International cricket

Virat Kohli debuted for team India on the same day in the year 2008 against Sri Lanka in an ODI match

New Delhi: India’s star batter Virat Kohli shared an Instagram post to celebrate the day when he started his illustrious cricketing career of 15 years. Virat debuted for team India on the same day in the year 2008 against Sri Lanka in an ODI match.

Virat shared his picture on social media ad captioned it “Forever grateful”.

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As per ESPNCricinfo, since 2011, Kohli has represented India in 111 Tests. After making his Test debut in 2011 against West Indies, he overcame the horrors of his first tour, in which he could score just 76 runs in five innings to establish himself as one of the biggest ambassadors of red-ball cricket. He has scored 8,676 runs at an average of 49.29 in 187 innings, with 29 centuries and 29 fifties and the best score of 254*.

He is the fifth-highest scorer in Test cricket for India and 23rd overall, chasing the all-time tally of Indian great Sachin Tendulkar (15,921 runs in 200 matches and 51 centuries). He also has the fourth-highest centuries in Tests among Indians. Virat also has seven double hundreds, the most by an Indian player.

Virat’s strongest format is ODIs. In 275 ODIs, he has scored 12,898 runs at an average of 57.32. He has scored 46 centuries and 65 half-centuries in 265 innings, with the best score of 183.

He is India’s second-highest ODI run-getter behind Sachin (18,426 runs in 463 matches with 49 centuries) and overall fifth. Virat also has the second-highest number of ODI centuries and is chasing a half-century of ODI tons.

As a captain, Virat Kohli made a brilliant legacy for himself in Tests. He led India in 68 Tests, winning 40, losing 17 and drawing 11. This translates to a win percentage of 58.82 per cent. In an age where the T20 format values attacking batting, Virat has perfectly mixed conservatism and situation-based attacking to become a T20I giant as well. In 115 T20Is, he has scored 4,008 runs at an average of 52.73 and a strike rate of 137.96. He has scored one century and 37 half-centuries, with the best score of 122*.

He has the highest amount of runs, fifty-plus scores and average in T20I cricket history. Virat also has the most ‘Man of the Match’ (15) and ‘Man of the Series’ (seven) awards in T20Is.

He is part of the team which won the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup and 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, reached the semifinals of the 2015 and 2019 Cricket World Cups and final of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy.