The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah has congratulated batting maestro Virat Kohli on completing 16 years in international cricket.
The 35-year-old Indian batter made his debut on 18 August 2008 in an ODI against Sri Lanka in Dambulla. He had a forgettable debut game, scoring a meagre 12, however, he went on to become arguably the greatest batter of the modern era, breaking several records during his 16-year-long career.
On the 16th anniversary of Kohli’s debut, Jay Shah shared a heartfelt congratulatory message on his official X account, acknowledging the star batter’s illustrious and successful career.
“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 posted.
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During his illustrious career, Virat Kohli has achieved significant success with team India, securing victories in three major tournaments: the ICC ODI World Cup in 2011, the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013, and the more recent ICC T20 World Cup in 2024.
Virat Kohli has showcased his exceptional skills across, but his performance in ODI cricket is particularly remarkable.
He has scored a phenomenal 13,906 runs with an outstanding average of 58.18 and has struck a record-breaking 50 centuries in ODI cricket.
Meanwhile, Kohli has scored 8,848 runs in 113 Test matches at an average of 49.15 with 29 centuries. On the other hand, he has amassed 4,188 runs in 125 T20Is at an average of 48.68 and a strike rate of 137.04.
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