Live Score
Cricket Teams
Cricket Players
2nd March 2008: When Virat Kohli’s legend began in Kuala Lumpur
Virat Kohli was the captain of the India side that became only the second from the country to win the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia on 2 March 2008
Virat Kohli was the captain of the India side that became only the second from the country to win the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia on 2 March 2008.
Kohli, then 20, was always billed as the one to watch out for, and that world cup-winning campaign was the first step on the upward trajectory for the youngster who has since gone on to become a part of the conversation at being regarded amongst the greatest cricketers of all time.
In the final on 2 March in Kuala Lumpur, South Africa skipper Wayne Parnell won the toss and opted to field first. His decision seemed vindicated as the Proteas folded the Indian side for a mere 159 runs in 45.4 overs.
Kohli, batting at number 4, couldn’t score big as Sybrand Engelbrecht took a superb catch at backward point off the bowling of Pieter Malan to send him back to the pavilion. The Indian Under-19 captain contributed 19 runs off 34 balls to his team’s paltry total.
In a rain-curtailed game, South Africa were set a target of 99 runs off 98 balls after Duckworth-Lewis method was brought into play. However, the Indian opening bowlers, Ajitesh Argal and Pradeep Sangwan, stifled the South African top order and reduced them to 17/3 after 8.4 overs before rain intervened.
Eventually the South Africa youngsters fell short by 12 runs, as India became Under-19 world champions for a second time in their history.
Kohli has since gone on to become a mainstay of Indian batting and the national team skipper. After 222 ODI matches, he has surpassed the 10,000-run mark at an astounding average of 59.50 and has notched 39 centuries, a tally that is second only to Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time record 51 in the 50-over game.
The Delhi batsman also averages above 50 in Tests as well as T20Is. He recently captained India to their first ever Test series win against Australia Down Under.
Kohli’s legend began that fateful day in Kuala Lumpur.
