How Virat Kohli became a household name after guiding India to the 2008 Under-19 World Cup
Before he became the first Asian to have 100 million Instagram followers, Virat Kohli became a household name in India by helping the country win their second Under-19 World Cup in 2008.
These were transition times for Indian cricket. The senior team under new captain MS Dhoni had just won the first final against Australia in the CB series. Less than six months back, Dhoni’s boys stunned the world by clinching the inaugural T20 World Cup.
The first edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was still a month-and-a-half away. A few weeks back, cricketers were sold in a never-before-seen auction. With the second leg of the auction coming up, the Under-19 cricketers also had an opportunity to earn lucrative contracts with the IPL franchises.
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli’s India were in the middle of an incredible run in the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia, having won all five of their matches leading to the final, where they would face South Africa. They had just clinched a thriller in the semi-final against a strong New Zealand side led by Kane Williamson.
The young Indian boys had set the bar. The country was following the side’s progress, and all eyes were glued to the television sets as the teenagers were a step away from history. While Mohammad Kaif’s side won the tournament in 2000, India faced an embarrassing defeat against Pakistan in the 2006 final.
Virat Kohli’s boys create history
South Africa defeated defending champions Pakistan in the other semi-final. Their only loss in the tournament came against India.
Wayne Parnell won elected to bowl. The South African bowlers hardly offered any loose deliveries and found favorable assistance from their fielders. India lost their openers inside the first 10 overs. Parnell had some good variations, while Matthew Arnold bowled his fastest spell of the tournament.
Tanmay Srivastava, who finished as the highest run-getter in the tournament, added 47 for the third wicket with skipper Virat Kohli. Both were dismissed, courtesy of brilliant catches by Sybrand Engelbrecht.
Saurabh Tiwary and Manish Pandey got starts but couldn’t convert them as the Indian innings folded for just 159.
Led by their 19-year-old paceman Ajitesh Argal, the Indians soon found themselves back in the game. Argal dismissed Pieter Malan and Rilee Rossouw early before opener JJ Smuts was run out after a terrible mix-up. South Africa were reeling at 17-3 after 8.4 overs when the skies opened up.
After the rain break, South Africa were set a revised target of 116 from 25 overs. They now had to score 99 off 98 balls with seven wickets in hand.
Ravindra Jadeja dismissed Jonathan Vandier immediately after play resumed. Reeza Hendricks and Wayne Parnell added 50 for the fifth wicket before Jadeja got rid of the former for 35.
Indian spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Iqbal Abdulla complemented the pace trio of Ajitesh Argal, Pradeep Sangwan, and Siddarth Kaul. The fielders joined the party and Virat Kohli kept the side pumped with enthusiasm.
For Parnell, it was a lone battle towards the end. Kaul defended 19 in the final over as the Indian side broke into a wild celebration.
India clinched the 2008 U-19 World Cup by 13 runs. Since then, Unmukt Chand in 2012 and Prithvi Shaw in 2018 have repeated the feat.
The then-young cricketers went on to earn handsome contracts with the IPL franchises. Virat Kohli was picked in the drafts by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). 14 seasons later, he remains with the franchise and has been their captain since 2013.
The writing was clear along the way, with Virat Kohli showing his leadership traits. Less than a decade later, he became the Indian captain in all formats and metamorphosed into a legend of the game.
Ravindra Jadeja also became a superstar. Manish Pandey and Saurabh Tiwari also played for the country. The likes of Shreevats Goswami, Siddarth Kaul, Pradeep Sangwan, and Iqbal Abdulla became big names in domestic cricket.
Tanmay Srivastava, India’s best batsman in the tournament, remained a mainstay for Uttar Pradesh for almost a decade-and-a-half before announcing his retirement in 2020 at the age of 30.
Brief scores
India U-19 159 (45.4) [Tanmay Srivastava 46 (74); Wayne Parnell 7.4-2-21-2, Matthew Arnold 10-0-30-2, Roy Adams 8-0-38-2]) beat South Africa U-19 103-8 (25) (Reeza Hendricks 35 (43), Wayne Parnell 29 (40); Ajitesh Argal 5-2-7-2, Ravindra Jadeja 5-0-25-2, Siddarth Kaul 5-0-26-2] by 13 runs (D/L Method) to win the U-19 World Cup