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Flashback To When Virat Kohli Captained Team India For The First Time In International Cricket

image-lpxkmwfzVirat Kohli leading India in England [X.Com]

Virat Kohli has been an exceptional batting powerhouse for the Men in Blue for more than a decade now. Virat Kohli's journey, from his initial days in the cricketing realm to his present stature as one of the game's finest, has been truly remarkable. His dedication and his hunger to go the extra mile have made him a global icon.

While his batting exploits are revered and appreciated by many, his captaincy skills have powered the Blues to glorious milestones. 

On this day, the Kohli reign started

Exactly on this day nine years ago, Kohli led India for the first time in international cricket. Kohli made his longest-format captaincy debut against Australia at the Adelaide Oval in the first match of the four-match Test series. This was the series in which Dhoni announced his retirement from Test cricket after the third match.

Kohli took charge of the Indian team in the first and last match of the Test series. Despite smashing a breathtaking ton in both innings, India suffered a heartbreaking 48-run defeat in the first Test match as Nathan Lyon ripped through the Indian batting lineup finishing with impressive figures of 7/152.

However, Kohli did not allow the disappointing Australia tour to dampen his spirit. After assuming the full-time captaincy position for the Blues across all formats in 2017, Kohli did not take a step back. As a captain for Team India, Kohli achieved numerous milestones and contributed immensely to the success of his national side. 

Kohli is undoubtedly India’s best skipper in ODI format and currently holds the best winning percentage of 70.43%. Under Virat Kohli's leadership, India has won 15 of the 19 bilateral ODI series and suffered only four defeats.


Moreover, he is the only captain in international cricket to hold the record for scoring the most number of double centuries. The 35-year-old officially stepped down from the T20I captaincy in 2021 and the ODI and Test captaincy in 2022. 

Following a demanding World Cup campaign which ended last month, Kohli has been relieved from his white-ball duties for the foreseeable future. However, the Delhi-based batter is expected to feature in India’s Test series against South Africa which will commence later this month.