<P> In February--March 2008, Kohli captained the victorious Indian team at the 2008 ICC Under - 19 Cricket World Cup held in Malaysia . Batting at number 4, he scored 235 runs in 6 matches at an average of 47, and finished as the tournament's third highest run - getter and one of the three batsmen to score a hundred in the tournament . His century (100 runs from 74 balls) against the West Indies Under - 19s in the group stage, which was called "the innings of the tournament" by ESPNcricinfo, gave India a 50 - run victory and earned Kohli the man of the match . Kohli picked up a leg injury during the match, but recovered in time to play the quarterfinal match against England Under - 19s . He was instrumental in India's three - wicket semifinal win over New Zealand Under - 19s in which he took 2 / 27 and scored 43 in the tense run - chase and was awarded the man of the match . He scored 19 against South Africa Under - 19s in the final which India won by 12 runs (D / L method). ESPNcricinfo commended him for making several tactical bowling changes during the tournament . </P> <P> Following the Under - 19 World Cup, Kohli was bought by the Indian Premier League franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore for $30,000 on a youth contract . In June 2008, Kohli and his Under - 19 teammates Pradeep Sangwan and Tanmay Srivastava were awarded the Border - Gavaskar scholarship . The scholarship allowed the three players to train for six weeks at Cricket Australia's Centre of Excellence in Brisbane . In July 2008, he was included in India's 30 - man probable squad for the ICC Champions Trophy which was to be held in Pakistan in September 2008 . He was also picked in the India Emerging Players squad for the four - team Emerging Players Tournament in Australia . He was in fine form in that tournament and scored 206 runs in six matches at an average of 41.20 . </P> <P> In August 2008, Kohli was included in the Indian ODI squad for tour of Sri Lanka and the Champions Trophy in Pakistan . Prior to the Sri Lankan tour, Kohli had played only eight List A matches, and his selection was called a "surprise call - up". During the Sri Lankan tour, as both first - choice openers Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag were injured, Kohli batted as a makeshift opener throughout the series . He made his international debut, at the age of 19, in the first ODI of the tour and was dismissed for 12 . He made his first ODI half century, a score of 54, in the fourth match which helped India win the series . He had scores of 37, 25 and 31 in the other three matches . India won the series 3--2 which was India's first ODI series win against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka . </P> <P> After the Champions Trophy was postponed to 2009, Kohli was picked as a replacement for the injured Shikhar Dhawan in the India A squad for the unofficial Tests against Australia A in September 2008 . He batted only once in the two - match series, and scored 49 in that innings . Later that month in September 2008, he played for Delhi in the Nissar Trophy against SNGPL (winners of Quaid - i - Azam Trophy from Pakistan) and top - scored for Delhi in both innings, with 52 and 197 . The match was drawn but SNGPL won the trophy on first - innings lead . In October 2008, Kohli played for Indian Board President's XI in a four - day tour match against Australia . He made 105 and 16 * in that match against a bowling line - up consisting of Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle and Jason Krejza . </P>

When did virat kohli played his first international match