Indian captain Virat Kohli, who recently got married to Anushka Sharma, has revealed what holds a "very special place" in his heart.
Kohli has been rested from the ongoing limited-overs series against Sri Lanka and Rohit Sharma is leading the side. Yesterday (December 22), Rohit hit the joint-fastest T20I ton as the hosts claimed the three-match rubber 2-0 with a game to spare.
Next week, Kohli and his team-mates will travel to South Africa to play three Tests, six ODIs and three T20Is. The first Test begins in Cape Town on January 5, 2018.
Kohli, who is one of the best batsmen across the formats, today (December 23) credited how ICC Under-19 World Cup helped him.
"The ICC U19 World Cup was a very important milestone in my career. It helped us get a good platform to build on and make our careers from thereon, so it holds a very importance place in my mind and heart. It's very important to understand and respect the opportunity it provides you and as I said, for me, it holds a very special place in my heart," the 29-year-old said.
Under Kohli's leadership, India won the Under-19 World Cup in 2008 in Malaysia. The Delhi batsman recalled his U-19 World Cup days and playing against New Zealand's 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. Steve (Smith) I did not quite play against at the U19 level, so I didn't watch him bat, but he has come a long way in his career as well. It is good to know that so many people from that batch, not just three of us captaining our countries, but apart from that a lot of players have played for their respective countries," he added.
Kohli is one of the few players in cricket history to have won U-19 World Cup, ICC World Cup (2011) and Champions Trophy (2013).
ICC Under-19 World Cup, the 12th edition, runs from January 13 to February 3, 2018 in New Zealand. It is held every two years.
