NEW DELHI: On Monday, Virat Kohli completed 17 years in international cricket. The journey began on August 18, 2008, when a young, eager Delhi boy walked out to bat for India against Sri Lanka in Dambulla. Few could have imagined then that this debut would mark the start of one of the most extraordinary journeys in international cricket.

Kohli had already become batting mainstay for India by 2011, a year when India ended their 28-year wait for the second ODI World Cup title. In the final, it was his calm 35 runs in a tricky situation that gave stability before MS Dhoni’s famous six. Kohli became a World Cup champion at just 22.

The former India captain soon turned himself into the ‘Chase Master’. No matter what the target was, Kohli made it look like net session with his breathtaking display of batting. He built his game around timing, quick singles, and perfectly paced innings.

In 2012, at Hobart, he smashed 133 off 86 balls* against Sri Lanka - one of the greatest ODI knocks ever.

• By 2013, he had become the fastest Indian to 5,000 ODI runs.

• In 2014, he scored a century off just 52 balls against Australia, the fastest by an Indian in ODIs.

As a captain in ODIs (2013–2021), he led India with passion, intensity, and aggression. Under him, India never looked afraid of big targets, because everyone knew if Kohli was there, the game was alive.

Then came 2018, his golden year - 1,200+ ODI runs at an average above 100, including tons against South Africa, England, and the West Indies. That year, he became the fastest to 10,000 ODI runs, reaching the landmark in just 205 innings - shattering Sachin Tendulkar’s record.

But the crowning glory arrived in 2023 at the World Cup in India. Kohli scored 765 runs, the most in a single World Cup edition. In the semi-final against New Zealand, he raised his bat for his 50th ODI century, overtaking his idol Tendulkar’s world record of 49 hundreds.

The entire Wankhede Stadium rose, and Sachin himself stood and applauded. It was a moment of history - the student surpassing the master.

By 2025, Kohli had rewritten ODI history:

• 302 matches

• 14,181 runs

• Average: 57.9

• 51 centuries (most in history)

• Fastest to 8k, 9k, 10k, 11k, 12k, 13k, and 14k ODI runs