10 years of Kohlism - Virat Kohli's India career in pictures

Few players have been able to metamorphose themselves as comprehensively and extraordinarily as Virat Kohli has. Over the course of ten years, ever since the time he was branded as a chubby whippersnapper to present day when he's one of the game's modern greats, Kohli has kept evolving; physically, technically and mentally.

Exactly a decade ago, a nervous Kohli batted for the first time for India, restless and unpolished, but filled with a never-ending hunger to fight. Those 22 balls weren't the best indication of what lay ahead, but a look back now to when the journey started in 2008, is a lovely illustration of how hard work, determination, and tremendous perseverance can transform one man.

Here's a recollection of Kohli's India career worth 10 years, compiled as a series of pictures.

2008

Kohli in action during the U-19 World Cup

Named captain of the Indian U-19 team for the World Cup in Malaysia, Kohli, a middle-order batsman for Delhi, had big shoes to fill. The likes of Mohammad Kaif, Parthiv Patel, and Dinesh Karthik had earlier captained the sides and gone on to play for India. With Dav Whatmore as coach and Ravindra Jadeja as Kohli's deputy, the team managed to win the title.

The start of Kohli's career wasn't impressive

The same year, Kohli got an IPL contract and was drafted into the Indian side for the first time, in an ODI against Sri Lanka at Dambulla, where he opened with Gautam Gambhir. The start wasn't spectacular and Kohli managed only 12 runs.

2009

Kohli won his first Man of the Match award against West Indies in the 2009 Champions Trophy

The coming-of-age for a young Kohli pulled back by the disappointment of a poor IPL season, came in 2009 when he was drafted into the side for the Champions Trophy.

He played the multi-team tournament, finding himself submerged in a diamond-studded Indian batting order. He got the No.4 slot, but a statement had to be made. He found the flow against a sub-par West Indies line-up in a group game, compiling 79 to win his first Man of the Match award. The confidence post that was for everyone to see.

2010

By 2010, Kohli had truly found his feet in ODI cricket

By 2010, as the Indian team shaped into a cohesive unit in time for the World Cup, Kohli found more and more scope to develop his game and smoothen rough edges. It helped that India played on batting-friendly pitches as Kohli upped his game, scoring his first century against Sri Lanka at the Eden Gardens.

His attacking strokeplay ensured that he got a taste of the shortest format soon and made his T20I debut for India that year.

2011

Kohli hit a century in his first-ever World Cup game

The World Cup came along and Kohli found a place. The opening game, against Bangladesh, was crucial to erase the ignominy of the 2007 loss and Kohli stepped up, scoring a century in his maiden World Cup game to show that he belonged.

A major turning point in his career came when he was called for his maiden Test series - a tour to West Indies. The start was unimpressive and several questions were raised, but the selectors persisted with him and took him to Australia.

2012

Kohli celebrates his Adelaide ton

The move worked wonders, as Kohli gave a splendid show of batsmanship in Adelaide, compiling a century when the rest of the batting crumbled and was swooped away by the Australian attack.

The Hobart masterclass, and Kohli's celebration

The Commonwealth Bank tri-series was yet another pivotal point for Kohli to transform, as his famed onslaught on Malinga during the record-breaking chase at Hobart turned the boy into a man. A 183-run masterclass against Pakistan in the Asia Cup further established his authority in the middle-order.

2013

Kohli was part of the triumphant Champions Trophy 2013 side

By 2013, Kohli had firmly put his feet in all forms of the game and was identified as the future of the game with the golden generation slowly phased out. By the end of the year, Sachin Tendulkar left the stage, leaving Dhoni, Kohli, and a young set of Indian men to work their way ahead.

The Champions Trophy win exhibited the power of young India and Kohli became the centre of the batting bulk, scoring centuries at will that completed a renaissance of sorts for the Delhi 'brat'.

2014

Kohli was the leading run-getter in the 2014 World T20

The year 2014 brought in added responsibilities few could have foreseen even three years before. Having made the captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore that year, Kohli worked up his T20 game and it was all for show in the 2014 World T20, where he scored the most runs by a batsman across all teams.

The all-round domination had started.

Kohli had a sensational series against Australia

By the end of the year, MS Dhoni suddenly retired from Test cricket, and the onus fell on Kohli. By the end of the series, no one had any doubts about the future greatness that was waiting for Kohli to achieve. He smacked as many as four hundreds in the Test series.

However, the year also had one of his lowest lows, a series against England where he could not even come close to get going and was tormented by James Anderson.

2015

Kohli scored a century against Pakistan in the World Cup

The year's most important tournament, the World Cup, started on the right note with a century against arch-rivals Pakistan, but he couldn't build on the momentum with more hefty scores even as India stumbled out in the semi-finals.

As captain, he led the team to victory in Sri Lanka and tightened his game as a batsman, but it was just a start of things. What followed next year truly made him the game's numero uno all-format batsman.

2016

His unbelievable run in the World T20 was a sight for gods

The year 2016 was a watershed year for Kohli, starting with the series Down Under, where he scored two ODI tons, to a phenomenal World T20 where he seemed untouchable, a scarcely believable edition of the IPL followed, but was most important was his newfound habit of scoring daddy hundreds in Tests, something he hadn't quite done in his first five years in Test cricket.

Three double centuries in one year and Kohli was a changed man in whites.

2017 - now

The mantle shifted from Dhoni to Kohli in early 2017

Further glories, both as a batsman and as a captain, came Kohli's way - he scored as many as 11 hundreds across ODIs and Tests. With Dhoni giving away limited-overs captaincy, the hegemony widened.

Pakistan crushed India in the finals of the Champion Trophy

The side raced to the finals of the Champions Trophy but was crushed in the finals by Pakistan - for Kohli the batsman though, the show went on, even as the side kept winning at home and away.

Kohli celebrates his century in the first Test against England

2018 is still on, and Kohli has a long way to go, but the biggest achievement that he has managed this year is being able to bury the ghosts of the 2014 England tour. A stellar century in the first Test itself shows that Kohli's mental strength is his biggest asset and the future, especially in the lead-up to the 2019 World Cup and beyond, is going to be one ruled by 'King Kohli'.