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Virat Kohli, one of the most successful batsmen in Indian cricket, made his international debut against Sri Lanka on 18 August 2008. The match was played in Dambulla. Indian cricket fans had high expectations from this young player at that time. Although his first match was not a very special performance, it proved to be the beginning of his great journey.
Early Life And Steps Towards Cricket
Virat Kohli was born on 5 November 1988 in Delhi. He has been passionate about cricket since childhood, and his family fully supported his passion. Kohli started his cricket journey at West Delhi Cricket Academy. His real journey in cricket started when he performed brilliantly in Delhi’s Under-15 and Under-17 teams. His brilliant performance gave him the opportunity to move forward.
Under-19 World Cup Victory And The Journey To Selection In The Senior Team
In 2008, Virat Kohli captained India’s Under-19 cricket team and led the team to victory in the Under-19 World Cup played in Malaysia. Both his batting and captaincy were excellent in this tournament. After this brilliant performance, he got a chance in the Indian senior team in the same year. He was included in the ODI team for the Sri Lanka tour.
Full Details of Virat Kohli’s First ODI Match
Virat Kohli’s first ODI was played against Sri Lanka on 18 August 2008 in Dambulla. This match was not memorable for him as he was dismissed after scoring just 12 runs. He faced 22 balls in his innings and hit a four. He was dismissed by Nuwan Kulasekara.
India did not have a good start in this match, either. India lost their first three wickets early. However, Suresh Raina and Mahendra Singh Dhoni handled the innings together. Team India scored 272 runs in 50 overs. Sri Lanka won the match by scoring 260 runs in 47 overs.
Virat Kohli’s first ODI may not have been good, but he later became one of the best batsmen in the world with his hard work and dedication. He set many records and achieved many achievements.
Scorecard of Virat Kohli’s Debut Match
| Match | Date | Place | Run | Ball | Four | Six |
| India vs Sri Lanka | 18 August 2008 | Dambulla | 12 | 22 | 1 | 0 |
What difficulties did Virat Kohli face in his first ODI series?
Virat Kohli had to face many difficulties in his first ODI series, some of which are as follows:
- Pressure of International Cricket: Virat Kohli was playing international cricket for the first time and feeling the pressure. He had to face the best bowlers in the world, and it was a big challenge for him.
- New Conditions: Virat Kohli was new to Sri Lanka and taking time to adapt to it.
- Lack of Form: Virat Kohli did not perform well in his first few innings, and his confidence decreased.
- Place in the team: The Indian team had many experienced players, and Virat Kohli had to perform well to make his place in the team.
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Despite all these difficulties, Virat Kohli did not give up. He soon made his mark in international cricket with his hard work and dedication. He played some good innings in his first ODI series and showed that he can become a great player. What difficulties did Virat Kohli face in his first ODI series?
Virat Kohli’s First IPL Match
| Match | Date | Place | Run | Ball | Four | Six |
| RCB Vs KKR | Apr 18 2008 | Bengaluru | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Virat Kohli played his first IPL match in 2008 for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) against Kolkata Knight Riders. His first innings in IPL was nothing special. But it was good enough to start his new cricket career. After this, Kohli played cricket very well and made a great career.
Virat Kohli’s First T20 Match
| Match | Date | Place | Run | Ball | Four | Six |
| India vs Zimbabwe | 12 June 2010 | Harare | 26 | 21 | 3 | 1 |
Kohli played his first T20 International match in 2010 against Zimbabwe. He scored 26 runs in this match. It was a good start to his T20 career, and he soon made his mark in this format as well. Kohli gained a lot of fame due to his excellent batting and match-winning performance in T-20 matches.
Virat Kohli’s First Test Match
| Match | Date | Place | Run | Ball | Four | Six |
| India vs West Indies | June 20 – 23, 2011 | Kingston | 19 | 64 | 3 | 0 |
Virat played his first test match against West Indies in 2011. Kohli did not perform well in this match. But he showed his good playing technique in this match and made his special place in the team. His true potential came to light later in Test cricket, and he made many records to his name. He proved his batting prowess in Test matches as well and also became the captain of the Indian cricket team.
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Major Milestones Achieved by Virat Kohli After Debut
- Member of the 2011 Cricket World Cup winning team.
- Became the vice-captain of the Indian team in 2012.
- Became the first Indian to score consecutive centuries against Australia in 2013.
- Became the captain of the Indian team in 2017.
- Record for scoring the fastest 10,000 and 12,000 ODI runs.
Frequently asked questions related to Virat Kohli’s Debut
Virat Kohli played his first ODI match against Sri Lanka on 18 August 2008.
He played his first ODI match against Sri Lanka in Dambulla.
He scored 12 runs in 22 balls, including a four.
Kohli had to face legendary bowlers like Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis. Apart from this, the experience of playing on foreign pitches was also a challenge.
He made his T20 debut on 12 June 2010 and his Test debut on 20 June 2011.
