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    4 Popular Players who made their debut under Virat Kohli

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    Cheteshwar Pujara and Ambati Rayudu
    Photo Source: Twitter

    Virat Kohli has led the Indian team from the front in all formats over the last seven years. His numbers as a captain as well as with the bat have been incredible. However, India have failed to lift an ICC trophy under his leadership.

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    The Indian team were the Runners-up in the Champions Trophy 2017, followed by a semi-final finish in the 2019 World Cup and most recently as Runners-up in the World Test Championship.

    Last week, Kohli announced that he will step down as T20I captain after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup 2021. He made this decision to focus more on his batting and leading the side in the ODIs and Tests.

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    On that note, let’s take a look at a few players who made their debut under Virat Kohli.

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    1. Shreyas Iyer

    Shreyas Iyer made his T20I debut against New Zealand in 2017. After a string of exceptional performances in the domestic circuit and the IPL, he had rightfully earned his place in the Indian side.

    Iyer didn’t get the opportunity to bat in his maiden T20I but has been a decent contributor since then. He has scored 550 runs in 29 games at an average of 28.94 and is also included as a reserve in the T20 WC 2021 squad.

    2. Cheteshwar Pujara

    India’s Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara made his ODI debut under Kohli in 2013 against Zimbabwe. Opening the innings alongside Rohit Sharma, he failed to make an impact as he was dismissed on just 13 runs. Pujara hasn’t been able to up his game in white-ball cricket.

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    He has played just five ODIs for India scoring 51 runs at a dismal average of around 10. However, he has established himself as one of the best Test batters for India and has played several significant knocks in red-ball cricket.

    3. Ambati Rayudu made his ODI debut under Virat Kohli

    It’s hard to believe that a senior player like Ambati Rayudu made his ODI debut under the captaincy of Virat Kohli. Rayudu played his maiden ODI against Zimbabwe in 2013 and scored a brilliant 63*. His innings alongside Kohli’s century helped India win the match comfortably.

    However, Rayudu has been unlucky as he hasn’t been a consistent part of the Indian team. Despite scoring 1694 runs at an average of 47 in 55 ODIs, he has been left of the squad on a regular basis. He announced his retirement from international cricket after being excluded from the CWC 2019 squad.

    4. Rishabh Pant

    Rishabh Pant Debut
    Photo: Rishabh Pant/Instagram

    Rishabh Pant’s journey in international cricket is an inspirational one. From being trolled heavily for his poor performances to becoming India’s one of the most reliable batsmen, he has silenced his critics.

    Pant made his debut across all formats under the leadership of Virat Kohli. In his debut Test against England in 2018, he returned with scores of 24 and 1. He didn’t get to bat in his maiden ODI against the Windies in 2018 whereas he scored 5* in his debut T20I against England in 2017.

    Pant has scored over 2500 runs for India in 76 matches across all formats. He is also a part of the T20 WC 2021 India squad.