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On this day in 2010, Virat Kohli made his debut in the shortest format of the game against Zimbabwe during the first T20I of the two-match series at Harare.
In his debut match, Virat, who was then 21-year-old, did show some promise. Chasing 112, India was struggling at 4/48. Except for Suresh Raina (28), captain for that series, the top order had failed and could not provide support to their leader. Stepped in a young Virat and a hard-hitting Yusuf Pathan. In the unbeaten stand that followed, Kohli served as an anchor, showcasing right and calculated aggression while Pathan acted as a more aggressive partner. The duo stitched a match-winning stand of 64 and took India over the line with six wickets and five overs to spare. Virat had scored an unbeaten 26* off 21 with three fours and a six, while Pathan had scored 37* off 24 with 2 fours and three sixes. The Delhi boy would go on to become a T20 cricket giant in future and he is still going on well in this format. His aggression, strokeplay and leadership would help in India's dominance in the format, earning the side wins in many matches. Currently, he is the third-highest run-scorer of all time in the T20I format. In 97 games, he has scored 3,296 runs at an average of 51.50. His strike rate is 137.67. Kohli's individual best performance in T20Is is 94*. He has 30 half-centuries in the format. He stands next to Martin Guptill of New Zealand (3,299) and compatriot Rohit Sharma (3,313) in this format. He would also go on to become the captain of India's T20I team. He led his side in 50 matches, winning 30, losing 16 and two ending in a tie. His win percentage as a captain stood at 64.58 per cent. Though a World T20 Championship eluded him, with India crashing out in group stages under his captaincy in 2021, which also happened to be his last assignment as T20I captain. He has also represented Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League. He is the all-time highest run-scorer in IPL history. In 223 games, he has scored 6,624 runs at an average of 36.20. and a strike rate of 129.15. His individual best score is 113. Five centuries and 44 half-centuries have come out of his bat in IPL. This also includes the monstrous 2016 season. In 16 games, he scored 973 runs at an average of 81.08. His best score was 113. He scored four centuries and seven half-centuries in that tournament. He also led RCB in eight IPLs, though he could not win a trophy here as well. His team still delivered some fine showings, qualifying for playoffs in 2015, 2020 and 2021 and ending as runners-up in 2016. (ANI)
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