Rohit made his ODI debut in June 2007, just before the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa.He gained attention during that T20 World Cup when he played a crucial knock of 50* against South Africa in a group match and was part of India’s title-winning squad.
However, despite early promise, Rohit struggled with consistency in his initial years, often batting in the middle order.
Virat made his debut a year later in 2008 after leading India to a U-19 World Cup victory earlier that year. He initially came into the team as a replacement for senior players and showed glimpses of his talent but, like Rohit, took time to establish himself.
Kohli’s first few years saw him used mostly in the middle order, and his performances were up and down as he adapted to international cricket.
(Photo by Indranil Mukherjee/AFP via Getty Images)
The Australian cricket team toured India in 2008 for the Border Gavaskar Trophy. India won the series 2-0, their biggest margin of victory over Australia in a Test series at the time.
The series marked the retirement of Anil Kumble, one of India’s greatest bowlers and captain during the first three Tests.
It also witnessed the farewell of Sourav Ganguly, one of India’s most successful captains, who played his final Test in Nagpur.
But before the Test matches, the Australians played a tour match against Indian Board President’s XI at Hyderabad in October, 2008. This match was an important practice game for Australia to acclimatize to Indian conditions and assess their form before the main series.
The Indian Board President’s XI was led by Yuvraj Singh who won the toss and elected to bat first and were 120/4 when Virat Kohli walked in to join Rohit Sharma at the crease. And together they gave a glimpse of the future with a 146-run stand for the fifth wicket.
But the surprising bit is that both Rohit and Virat scored 105 runs, with Rohit taking 144 balls and Virat accounting for 146 balls.
Rohit hit 12 fours and 4 sixes in his knock, while Virat’s knock was studded with 14 fours and a six, taking their team’s total to 455.
(Photo by Indranil Mukherjee/AFP via Getty Images)
Though the match ended in a draw, the strokeplay of both Rohit and Virat was dazzling enough to ensure that they will go on to have a bright future in Indian cricket.
Watch the highlights of the innings here:
From there on, both players grew in stature together and 16 years down the line are now considered pillars of Indian cricket.
While Kohli’s rise was more immediate, Rohit’s breakthrough as an opener reshaped his career, making them two of the most successful players in modern cricket.