Kane Williamson was a stand-out player in 2008 U-19 World Cup, recalls Virat Kohli

The world took note of Virat Kohli's batting as well as captaincy for the very first time during the 2008 U-19 World Cup. While India grabbed all the limelight by winning that tournament, Kohli himself believed that he had seen a hidden gem in New Zealand's skipper Kane Williamson.

"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 said in a media release by ICC.

India were narrowly able to beat New Zealand in the semifinal of that event but Kohli knew that Williamson would become the next big thing in New Zealand cricket.

"The ICC U19 World Cup was a very important milestone in my career," said Kohli, who made 235 runs in the tournament on the road to victory.

Kohli understands the importance of the kind of platform the U-19 World Cup provides and is hopeful that the 2020 edition of the tournament will help unearth more such world-class talents.

"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," he asserted.