International career

International career

Main article: Career of Virat Kohli
Kohli’s international career began in August 2008 when the 19-year-old had a “surprise call-up” to the ODI squad for a tour of Sri Lanka.[35] He opened the batting due to injuries to senior players, scoring his first half-century in the fourth match.[36] After a brief stint with the India A team, he scored a century against a strong Australian bowling line-up in a tour match.[37] Despite an early BCCI contract, Kohli’s place in the team was not secure. A turning point came in the 2009 Emerging Players Tournament in Australia, where he was the top run-scorer, leading his team to victory with a century in the final. This performance cemented his return to the national team.[38] He scored his maiden ODI century in December 2009 against Sri Lanka.[39] By early 2010, he became the third Indian to score two ODI centuries before turning 22.[40]

Kohli fielding during a match in December 2010
In 2010, Kohli was appointed vice-captain for a tri-series in Zimbabwe and became the then fastest Indian to score 1,000 ODI runs. After a dip in form during the 2010 Asia Cup, he solidified his position with consistent performances, finishing as India’s leading ODI run-scorer for the year.[41] Kohli played a crucial role in India’s 2011 World Cup victory, scoring a century on his debut and a 35 in the final.[42][43] Further made his Test debut in June 2011 against the West Indies, but struggled initially and was dropped.[44] He was recalled and eventually found his footing, scoring his maiden Test century in Adelaide in January 2012.[45] On 28 February 2012, during the Commonwealth Bank tri-series in Hobart, Kohli scored an unbeaten 133 runs from 86 balls against Sri Lanka, helping India chase 321 in 36.4 overs to secure a bonus-point victory and remain in contention for the tournament final.[46] and a career-best 183 against Pakistan in the 2012 Asia Cup, being the standout performances.[47][48]