India skipper Virat Kohli believes the 2008 U-19 World Cup victory was the most crucial phase of his development as a cricketer. In 2008, Kohli steered a side featuring Ravindra Jadeja and Manish Pandey to victory in Malaysia, leading by example and making a superb hundred in the group stage against the West Indies. "I have always maintained that it was probably the most crucial phase of my development as a cricketer because that was probably the second time that the World Cup started being aired on TV. Many people score runs and do well but when you watch someone play, you know there's something different," Kohli said.

"I am grateful that the tournament was aired on TV because everyone watched us play, we were picked into the IPL and people started thinking that these guys could do something in future. I think it was a great stepping stone and winning that tournament was a boost for us. I think when you have the chance to show what you can do in front of the world, it really provides you with a rare opportunity," he added.