16 years of Virat Kohli: Celebrating the legacy of cricketing excellence, how was his journey from debut to dominance

16 Years of Virat Kohli: When we talk about modern-day cricket legends, one name that always comes to mind is Virat Kohli. In the last 16 years, Kohli has carved a place for himself not only in the history of Indian cricket but also globally. His journey from a young, passionate cricketer to a global icon has been nothing short of extraordinary. As we celebrate 16 years of Virat Kohli, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the milestones, challenges, and triumphs that have defined his illustrious career.

From Debut to Dominance: 16 Years of Virat Kohli in Cricket

The story of Virat Kohli’s cricket journey started in 2008 when India won the ICC Under-19 World Cup under his captaincy. This achievement was just the beginning, as the world soon saw the debut of a young, determined Kohli in India’s ODI team later that year. Despite the pressure of big matches, Kohli showed glimpses of talent initially with his aggressive batting style and uncanny ability to chase down challenging targets.

Over the next few years, Kohli rose rapidly through the ranks. By 2011, he had established himself as a key player in the Indian team, playing a crucial role in India’s World Cup wins. His century in his first World Cup match against Bangladesh was a testament to his talent and composure under pressure. In the following years he dominated the ODI format, delivering consistent match-winning performances and earning the reputation of being the best chaser in the game.

Kohli also started touching the heights of Test cricket with ODIs

Kohli’s skills in ODIs were well known, but his journey in Test cricket is equally remarkable. Making his Test debut in 2011, Kohli faced initial challenges but soon adapted to the rigors of the format. His breakthrough came in the series 2014-15 Australia, where he scored four centuries, proving his mettle in the longest format of the game. Under his captaincy, India reached the pinnacle of Test cricket, held the number one ranking for several years and achieved historic series victories overseas.

The Captaincy Era of King Kohli: Leading by Example

Virat Kohli’s captaincy started a new chapter in Indian cricket. Taking over from MS Dhoni, Kohli led with passion, intensity and an unwavering commitment to fitness and excellence. Under his leadership, India became a formidable force in all formats. His aggressive style of captaincy, coupled with his exceptional batting, set new standards for the team. The historic Test series win in 2018-19 in Australia, where Kohli’s leadership played a crucial role, is one of the highlights of his captaincy career.

Records of Virat Kohli made in last 16 years of era

Virat Kohli, a prominent Indian cricketer, has set many records in his career. Here are some of the major records that he has made during his cricketing career. Virat Kohli is the only player in cricket history who has been at number one in the ICC rankings of all formats played in international cricket.

During the 2023 ODI World Cup, he left behind Sachin Tendulkar’s record that is unmatched by everyone. Sachin has scored 49 centuries in his ODI career, Virat has created a new history by scoring 50 centuries in ODI cricket. Virat was at his best, no not just in terms of runs but also how he respects his idol, when he smashed his 50th ODI ton against New Zealand in the ICC ODI World Cup last year. He saw Sachin in the stands and bowed before him. That was an act of being reverential, which evoked the same response from Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. He stood up, clapped, and applauded. Imagine, one genius celebrating another, this is one memory of Virat Kohli that will never fade away.

Of course, for those who have betrayed the limits of their ego, Virat Kohli’s six to Haris Rauf in the ICC T20 2022 World Cup at the MCG in 2022 is one of the best shots. Replays of those sixes that challenge the geometry in cricket have been viewed billions of times and have also been selected as the best sixes by the ICC. For those who like to see him as a dacoit, Virat Kohli is a batsman. Only he knows how he does it, but from India to Pakistan, Virat Kohli still deserves respect, and his fan base is so rich.

Here some records of Virat Kohli,

Most runs – 𝗞𝗼𝗵𝗹𝗶 (26942)
Most 50s – 𝗞𝗼𝗵𝗹𝗶 (140)
Most 100s – 𝗞𝗼𝗵𝗹𝗶 (80) also, Most 100s IN ODI-Kohli (50)
Most 150s – 𝗞𝗼𝗵𝗹𝗶 (16)
Most 200s – 𝗞𝗼𝗵𝗹𝗶 (7)
Most 4s – 𝗞𝗼𝗵𝗹𝗶 (2662)
Most Boundaries – 𝗞𝗼𝗵𝗹𝗶 (2963)
Most M.O.M – 𝗞𝗼𝗵𝗹𝗶 (67)
Most M.O.S – 𝗞𝗼𝗵𝗹𝗶 (21)
Most ICC runs – 𝗞𝗼𝗵𝗹𝗶 (3736)
Most ICC 50s – 𝗞𝗼𝗵𝗹𝗶 (32)
Most ICC M.O.M – 𝗞𝗼𝗵𝗹𝗶 (13)
Most ICC M.O.S – 𝗞𝗼𝗵𝗹𝗶 (3)
Most ICC Awards – 𝗞𝗼𝗵𝗹𝗶 (10)
Most ICC runs in KOs – 𝗞𝗼𝗵𝗹𝗶 (939)
Most ICC 50+ in KOs – 𝗞𝗼𝗵𝗹𝗶 (9)
Most ICC runs in Finals – 𝗞𝗼𝗵𝗹𝗶 (410)
Most runs as Captain – 𝗞𝗼𝗵𝗹𝗶 (12883)
Most 100s as Captain – 𝗞𝗼𝗵𝗹𝗶 (41)
Most 150s as Captain – 𝗞𝗼𝗵𝗹𝗶 (11)
Most 200s as Captain- 𝗞𝗼𝗵𝗹𝗶 (7)
Most M.O.M as Captain – 𝗞𝗼𝗵𝗹𝗶 (27)
Most M.O.S as Captain – 𝗞𝗼𝗵𝗹𝗶 (12)
Most times ICC team Captain – 𝗞𝗼𝗵𝗹𝗶 (8)

In the first season of the 2008 IPL, Virat Kohli debuted for Royal Challengers Bangalore. In these 16 years of journey, Virat also took over the captaincy of RCB. Also, Virat Kohli is the most successful player in IPL history. Who has the record of most runs and most 7 centuries in IPL so far. Out of which he scored 4 centuries in the IPL season 2016 itself. And also recorded the record for the most runs in 1 season. Virat Kohli is the only player in IPL history who has been associated with the same franchise RCB from 2008 to 2024.

If you think that due to all these records, Virat must have been filled with grief, then you are wrong. On the contrary, Virat resigned from his captaincy and has retired from T20 after the 2024 World Cup. And now he plays the role of a leader for India. 16 years is a very big career, to show his entire career, not a single page but a whole book will be needed. In the end, I will say that talented players like Virat are born very rarely.