Timeline

• 1973 - Born 11 January 1973, in Indore
• 1984 - Attended a summer coaching camp at KSCA's Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, where his talents were spotted by former cricketer turned coach Keki Tarapore (There was another Keki Tarapore [Mumbai, deceased] with whom people confuse this gentleman who also passed on.)
• Scores his first century in an unofficial match for his school team St. Joseph's against St. Anthony's.
• Scores a double hundred for the Karnataka schools team which he smashed against Kerala.
• Selected for the under-15 Karnataka team.
• Stops keeping wickets on advice from Gundappa Vishwanath, Roger Binny, Brijesh Patel and coach Keki Tarapore.
• 1985 - Gets recognised in Bangalore as a prodigy after becoming the first ever to score a century in the Cottonian Shield inter school tournament (Juniors) for St. Josephs High School against Baldwin Boys' High School, in the final.
• 1991 - Ranji debut against Maharashtra.
• 1996 - Double century in Ranji finals, vs. Tamil Nadu.
• 1996 - Test debut at Lords, England after Sanjay Manjrekar was injured and Navjot Singh Sidhu flew back home after a fracas with captain Azharuddin. Makes 95.
• 1997 - Maiden Test hundred (148), vs. South Africa, third Test, Johannesburg.
• 1997 - First one day hundred (107), vs. Pakistan, Independence Cup, Chennai.
• 1998 - Dropped from One Day squad for the ODI tournament in Bangladesh.
• 1999 - Hundred in both innings (190,103) against New Zealand in Hamilton.
• 1999 - Makes 461 runs, including three 50s and two 100s in World Cup.
• 1999 - Signs up with Kent for the 2000 English county season.
• 2001 - Scores 180, while V. V. S. Laxman makes 281, in a fifth-wicket stand of 376 as India defeat Australia at Eden Gardens, ending 16 Test-winning streak by Australia.
• 2004 - Career best 270 against Pakistan, at Rawalpindi.
• 2005 - Succeeds Sourav Ganguly as Test and ODI captain.
• 2005 - The Nice Guy Who Finished First by Devendra Prabhudesai, released by coach Greg Chappell.
• 2006 - Scores first century as captain, at Lahore, vs. Pakistan.
• 2006 - Contributed in a remarkable 410 runs partnership with Sehwag at Multan.
• 2006 - Leads India to snatch their first ever test victory on South African Soil.
• 2007 - Leads India in the 2007 Cricket World Cup, held in West Indies.
• 2007 - After India's tour of England, resigns from Indian captaincy.
• 2007 - Dropped from the Indian ODI Squad after poor series against Australia.
• 2008 - Reached the landmark of 10000 Test runs, in the first Test of the series against South Africa in Chennai on 29 March
• 2009 - Reached the catching record for a fielder in test cricket with 182 catches, in the third test against New Zealand in Wellington on 6 April.