'U19 World Cup was a very important milestone in my career' - Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli is one of the biggest names to have emerged from U19 cricket. It all started for the star batsman at the U19 level when he led India to glory in the U19 World Cup in 2008 and became an overnight sensation. He was soon fast-tracked into the senior team and the rest is history. In that same edition of the World Cup, the likes of Kane Williamson, Steve Smith, Ravindra Jadeja and Manish Pandey had played too.

And as a new bunch of youngsters are now gearing up for yet another exciting edition of the U19 World Cup, Virat Kohli recalled the fond memories of the 2008 edition. Kohli picked his New Zealand counterpart Kane Williamson as the standout performer from that edition. Kohli-led India had defeated Williamson-led New Zealand in the final of the tournament.

“I remember playing against Kane (Williamson). He was someone who always stood out in the team, his batting ability was very different from the other players who were around. It is good to know that so many people from that batch, like Kane and Steve Smith, have played for their respective countries,” Kohli was quoted as saying in a media release by the ICC.

Virat Kohli highlighted the importance of U19 World Cup

Virat Kohli spoke on the importance of the U19 World Cup in his career. The India skipper, who scored 235 runs at an average of 47, stated that the U19 World Cup was the platform which helped him and others kickstart their career in international cricket.

“The ICC U19 World Cup was a very important milestone in my career,” said Kohli. “It helped us get a good platform to build on and make our careers from thereon, so it holds a very important place in my mind and heart. It is very important to understand and respect the opportunity it provides to you.”

Meanwhile, the upcoming edition of the U19 World Cup will take place in South Africa. The much-awaited competition will kickstart on January 17 with hosts South Africa locking horns with Afghanistan in the tournament-opener. India will open their campaign against Sri Lanka on January 19 in Bloemfontein.

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