OTD in 2008: The cricketing world met its future king, Virat Kohli

18th of August 2008 marks the arrival of Virat Kohli, the King of Cricket, in the international set-up. He debuted against Sri Lanka at Dumbulla and hasn't stopped since then. Even after playing for 16 years straight, the enthusiasm in him hasn't dropped. One of the greatest players of all time, Kohli's debut was due to his sheer effort and performance in the U-19 World Cup 2008. He led the young Indian side to victory and played well throughout the tournament, which was the first step towards making a place in the senior team. 

However, the entire world was aware of the fact that the young 19-year-old chubby player would rule the sport and the hearts of the fans. In today's time, Kohli is the best player in the cricket world for several reasons, the first one being his solid performance throughout the 16 years and his dedication towards fitness. He is undoubtedly the fittest player at the age of 35, which is no less than an achievement. 

Kohli's performance graph has shown an upward curve as he likes to upgrade himself and put in all the effort in whatever he's doing. He has come up with statements like, "I'll be gone once I am done," but the confidence he has to date is unbelievable and unmatchable. Statistically, Kohli has scored 80 centuries until now, 50 in ODIs, 29 in Tests, and one in the shortest format of the game.

He is on the verge of breaking Sachin Tendulkar's record of 100 centuries in all formats. If he manages to play for 2-3 years more, he'll sure get there. Even when he was going through a rough patch, he averaged around 50, which was pretty amazing. Hence, he's called the King of Cricket, which totally defines him and his personality.

Virat Kohli set to miss Duleep Trophy 2024; will be available for Bangladesh series

BCCI Secretary Jay Shah has confirmed that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will miss out on the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2024, starting September 5. As per reports, the senior players were going to participate in the tournament but now are set to miss it. Moreover, Shah has clarified that expecting senior players to play domestic tournaments will be tough considering the injury scenario. However, other players like Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav will participate in the upcoming tournament. 

Jay Shah said, "We should not insist on players like Rohit and Virat to play in the Duleep Trophy. They will risk injury. If you have noticed, in Australia and England, every international player does not play domestic cricket. We have to treat the players with respect."