Virat Kohli becomes household name for first time with U-19 World Cup win on Mar 2, 2008

Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli is widely regarded as one of the greatest modern-day batsmen in the world. Ever since he was appointed as captain of Indian cricket, Kohli has led his national side to the No. 1 ranking in Tests. He also led the ‘Men in Blue’ to numerous bilateral series wins across all formats in both home and away conditions. Apparently, one of his first major achievements as captain for any side came for India’s Under-19 unit at the 2008 U-19 World Cup in Malaysia.  

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Virat Kohli’s Under-19 World Cup win completes 13 years

On March 2, 2008, Virat Kohli led India Under-19 to a 12-run win (D/L method) over South Africa at Kuala Lumpur’s Kinrara Academy Oval. Apart from Kohli, the victorious Indian unit also consisted of Ravindra Jadeja and Manish Pandey in its line-up. Both Ravindra Jadeja and Manish Pandey are regular members of India’s current national squad where they frequently feature alongside their 2008 Under-19 captain.

On the occasion of the 13th anniversary of India’s second-ever Under-19 World Cup title, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took to their social media accounts and shared a throwback image from the final. In the caption, they also congratulated Virat Kohli for becoming the first cricketer in history to reach 100 million followers on Instagram. Here is a look at BCCI’s congratulatory message for the Indian captain.

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Virat Kohli Instagram followers

Virat Kohli, who is renowned for breaking records on the field, has added yet another feather into his illustrious cap, albeit for an elite off-field achievement. On Monday, March 1, he became the first cricketer and only the fourth-ever athlete after Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. to gain over 100 million followers on Instagram.

Apart from the BCCI, even the International Cricket Council (ICC) congratulated the cricketer for the achievement. Here is a look at the ICC post as they congratulate Virat Kohli for breaching the 100 million-follower landmark.

Virat Kohli Instagram updates

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Virat Kohli centuries

The Virat Kohli centuries column in international cricket makes for a staggering read. Across 90 Tests, 251 ODIs and 85 T20I matches, the right-handed batsman has plundered 70 international centuries. As of now, he is only third in the all-time list behind the likes of Sachin Tendulkar (100 tons) and Ricky Ponting (71 tons).

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Image source: BCCI Twitter