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On August 18, 2008, a young Virat Kohli made his debut in international cricket, embarking on a journey that would see him become one of the most celebrated cricketers in the world. Sixteen years later, the cricketing community continues to celebrate his achievements, with former teammate and close friend Dinesh Karthik among those honoring the milestone.
Karthik’s Tribute on Social Media
Dinesh Karthik, who has shared many memorable moments on the field with Kohli, took to social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) to congratulate the Indian batting maestro. Karthik’s message was filled with respect and admiration for Kohli, who has maintained an extraordinary level of performance throughout his career.
“Happy to have played with you, Skipper. 16 years and the fire still burns bright,” Karthik wrote, accompanying his message with a salute and fire emojis. He also shared a nostalgic photo of the two in India’s T20I jersey, symbolizing the strong bond they share as teammates.
Kohli’s Journey Through the Formats
Virat Kohli’s debut came in an ODI against Sri Lanka at Dambulla, where he opened the innings with Gautam Gambhir. Although his first outing wasn’t remarkable—scoring 12 runs off 22 balls—his hunger and talent were evident. Since then, Kohli has evolved into a prolific batsman, setting numerous records across all formats of the game.
In T20 Internationals, Kohli made his debut in 2010 against Zimbabwe, where he remained unbeaten on 26 runs from 21 balls, helping India secure a six-wicket victory. His Test debut came a year later in 2011 against the West Indies. Though his scores of 4 and 15 didn’t make headlines, Kohli quickly established himself as a key player in India’s middle order, eventually becoming one of the most successful Test captains in history.
Karthik’s All-Time ODI XI Includes Kohli
Just last week, Dinesh Karthik, who is known for his sharp cricketing insights, revealed his all-time ODI XI. The list included some of the greatest cricketers India has ever produced, and unsurprisingly, Virat Kohli made the cut. However, the exclusion of Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni, two of India’s modern-day greats, sparked discussions among fans. Karthik’s selection of Kohli underlined the latter’s significant impact on the ODI format, where he has consistently been a match-winner for India.
Karthik’s Critique of Kohli’s Recent Form
Interestingly, despite his admiration for Kohli, Karthik didn’t shy away from critiquing the star batsman’s recent struggles against spin during the ODI series against Sri Lanka, which India lost 0-2. Kohli, who scored 24, 14, and 20 in the series, was dismissed by Sri Lankan spinners on all three occasions. Karthik, speaking on Cricbuzz, acknowledged the challenging nature of the pitches but emphasized that it was a tough series for the Indian batsmen, including Kohli.
“In this series… let’s admit. Be it Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, or anyone else. With a slightly semi-new ball, between overs 8-30, it’s hard work. Nothing to worry about. Not too many pitches work that way, but it’s been a tough pitch to play spinners. I’m not going to defend Virat Kohli here, but playing spin here is very hard,” Karthik analyzed.
Karthik’s New Role with RCB
Looking ahead, Karthik will once again share a dressing room with Virat Kohli, but this time in a different capacity. After announcing his retirement from all forms of cricket, Karthik has been appointed as the mentor-cum-batting coach for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), the IPL franchise with which Kohli has been synonymous. This new role will see Karthik guiding not only Kohli but also the other batsmen in the squad as they chase their elusive first IPL title.
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