Jay Shah congratulates Virat Kohli on completing 16 years in international cricket

Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Jay Shah congratulated star batter Virat Kohli on completing 16 remarkable years in international cricket. The Delhi-born reached this milestone on Sunday, August 18, 2024.

Kohli's journey in international cricket began in 2008 when he made his debut as a 19-year-old prodigy. Since then, he has pushed up the ranks to become one of the sport's most dominant figures. Shah took to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to celebrate Kohli's achievement.

"16 years ago today, a 19-year-old @imVkohli stepped onto the international stage for the first time, marking the beginning of what has become a truly legendary career. Congratulations to the King on completing 16 years in international cricket," he wrote.

Also read: On This Day in 2008: Virat Kohli's international debut for India in an ODI against Sri Lanka

We have to treat the players with respect: Jay Shah

The 35-year-old has so far scored 26,942 runs in 533 matches, including 80 centuries and 140 half-centuries. He stands as the second-highest run-scorer for India in international cricket. In the last ODI World Cup, he broke the long-standing record of Sachin Tendulkar's 49 ODI centuries and became the first batter to hit 50 centuries.

Looking ahead, Kohli has been rested for the upcoming Duleep Trophy, a decision explained by Shah as a measure to prevent unnecessary injuries before the important Test series against Bangladesh and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. 

"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,” Shah said.