"It all started on this chair" - Looking back at Virat Kohli's posts on August 18 of every year since his debut on 18/8/2008
August 18 is a special date for Virat Kohli and his fans. It was on this date in 2008 the world saw a young Indian batter walk out to bat wearing the blue jersey for the first time at the senior level in international cricket.
Virat Kohli received his first ODI cap on August 18, 2008 ahead of a match against Sri Lanka. He opened the batting with Gautam Gambhir in that game, scoring a 22-ball 12.
While Kohli's debut was not a memorable game, he has played some unforgettable knocks in his international career so far. At the moment, Kohli is only behind Sachin Tendulkar on the list of batters with the most centuries in international cricket history.
Virat Kohli has amassed more than 25,000 runs in the 501 matches that he has played for India across all three formats. He has become one of the most popular celebrities in the world, but Kohli never forgets August 18, 2008.
In this special feature, we will look back at the posts shared by Kohli on August 18 of every year after his debut.
#1 Virat Kohli sends a message to VVS Laxman on August 18, 2012
Fans should note that Kohli did not share any posts on his debut or the anniversary of his debut in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Even on August 18, 2012, when he completed four years in international cricket, he sent a message to VVS Laxman, who announced retirement from the game.
"A very very special cricketer and a more special person. A true insipiration and class personified!You will be missed laxman bhai.take a bow," Kohli tweeted.
#2 Virat Kohli celebrates 7 years in international cricket
Kohli did not share any posts on August 18 in 2013 and 2014 as well. On August 18, 2015, he posted a tweet while he led India in a Test series as a full-time captain for the first time.
"From 18-8-2008 Dambulla to 18-8-2015 Colombo, 7 years! And this is just the beginning. Grateful and Blessed," Kohli tweeted from Sri Lanka.
India lost the first Test of that series, but the Kohli-led outfit made a comeback to win the series 2-1.
#3 Virat Kohli celebrates the 8th anniversary of his international debut
On August 18, 2016, Kohli shared a photo of himself celebrating a milestone in white-ball cricket and red-ball cricket on Facebook. He completed eight years in international cricket with the following caption:
"18/8/2008 to 18/8/2016. 8 Years and counting."
#4 Kohli finds himself in the same place 9 years after his international debut
India were on a tour of Sri Lanka in 2017 when Kohli completed nine years in international cricket. The star Indian batter decided to click a photo in the same chair, where he sat in 2008 as he wrote on X:
"It all started on this very chair, this very date and this very ground. 9 years today with the Indian cricket team! So grateful."
#5 Virat Kohli celebrates 11 years in international cricket in the Caribbean
Kohli did not share any post on August 18, 2018, the day when he completed a decade in international cricket. He was busy captaining India in a Test against England.
On August 18, 2019, Kohli was captaining India on a tour of West Indies as he completed 11 years in international cricket. West Indies has been a special place for Kohli. He made his Test debut in the Caribbean islands. Recently, Kohli also played his 500th match in West Indies.
Looking back at his journey, Kohli wrote in 2019:
"From starting as a teenager on the same day in 2008 to reflecting on the journey 11 years after, I couldn't have dreamt of the blessings God has showered me with. May you all get the strength and power to follow your dreams and always follow the right path."
#6 "Time Flies" - Virat Kohli completes 12 years in international cricket
Virat Kohli was spending time with his family during the COVID-19 pandemic when he completed 12 years in international cricket on August 18, 2020. Sharing some of the best pictures from his career, Kohli wrote on Instagram:
"12 years. Time flies. Forever grateful."
#7 Virat Kohli posted a reel on August 18, 2022
After missing out on a post on August 18, 2021 because of a Test series against England, Kohli celebrated 14 years in international cricket in 2022. Following the trend of Instagram reels, Kohli decided to make a video post on the 14th anniversary of his ODI debut.
The star Indian batter shared the reel on Instagram with the caption:
"14 years ago, it all started and it's been an honour."
#8 "Forever grateful" - Virat Kohli's latest post on Instagram
Kohli celebrated 15 years in international cricket today with a special post on Instagram. He posted a photo from his celebration after the 82-run knock against Pakistan in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022, writing:
"Forever grateful."
Kohli will likely continue playing for India at the top level for the next few years. It will be interesting to see if he can become the second batter after Sachin Tendulkar to score 100 international hundreds.