Jay Shah, Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has celebrated Virat Kohli’s 16th year in international cricket. Shah lauded Kohli for his remarkable career and ongoing contributions to the Indian cricket team.
Kohli, who rose to prominence by leading India to victory in the 2008 U-19 World Cup, made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka on August 18, 2008. Over the years, he has fulfilled his potential with numerous impressive innings.
The Delhi-born cricketer is recognized as one of the greatest all-format players, known for his dedication, consistency, and prowess. As captain, Kohli has made a profound impact and set numerous records in international cricket.
A Truly Legendary Career – Jay Shah
Jay Shah took to social media account X (formerly known as Twitter) to congratulate Virat Kohli on his 16th anniversary in international cricket. Shah highlighted that Kohli has had a legendary career since his debut at 19.
“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!” Jay Shah wrote on X.
The 35-year-old was last seen in action during the ODI series against Sri Lanka earlier this month. The veteran batter played a match-winning knock during the T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa. He was named “Player of the Match” for his impressive batting performance in the summit clash.
Virat Kohli Rested For Duleep Trophy 2024 Season
Virat Kohli is India’s second-highest run-scorer in international cricket, having accumulated 26,942 runs, which include 80 centuries and 140 fifties. He trails only Sachin Tendulkar (34,357 runs), Kumar Sangakkara (28,016 runs), and Ricky Ponting (27,483 runs). Kohli also holds the record for the most centuries in ODIs, with 50 to his name.
Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be absent from the forthcoming Duleep Trophy as a precautionary measure before the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh. According to BCCI Secretary Jay Shah, this decision is part of a strategy to manage the players’ workload ahead of a demanding Test season, which includes the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25.
Kohli is set to return to action during the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, with the first Test starting on September 19 at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai and the second Test from September 27 to October 1 at Green Park in Kanpur.
In his six Tests against Bangladesh, Kohli has amassed 437 runs at an average of 54.62, including two centuries. He is 152 runs away from reaching 9,000 runs in Test cricket.
