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After securing victory in the T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados, Virat Kohli announced his retirement from T20 International cricket. The veteran batsman confirmed that the summit clash marked his final appearance for India in the shortest format of the game, stating that it is now time for the younger generation to step up.
Regarded as one of the finest batsmen of his era, Virat Kohli’s retirement from T20Is came on the heels of a spectacular conclusion to his career in this format. Despite a relatively quiet tournament until the final, where he had amassed just 75 runs, Kohli rose to the occasion when it mattered most. Opening the innings, he anchored India’s innings after the early dismissals of Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant. Displaying immense maturity and composure, Kohli crafted a crucial innings of 76 runs off 59 balls, striking at approximately 130. His innings included 6 fours and 2 sixes, helping India set a formidable target of 176 runs.
Kohli’s performance earned him the Player of the Match award in the final, capping off his T20I career with a memorable victory. Addressing broadcasters post-match, Kohli expressed his decision to retire from T20 Internationals, marking the end of an illustrious chapter in his cricketing journey.
“This was my last T20 World Cup, this is exactly what we wanted to achieve. One day you feel like you can’t get a run and this happens, God is great. Just the occasion, now or never kind of situation. This was my last T20 game playing for India. We wanted to lift that cup. Wanted to Yes I have, this was an open secret.”
Virat Kohli – You look at someone like Rohit, he’s played 9 T20 World Cups and this is my sixth. He deserves it
Virat Kohli elaborated on his retirement decision, emphasizing that regardless of the final outcome, he had already planned to announce his departure from T20 Internationals. He emphasized that the moment had arrived for the younger players to assume greater responsibilities in the team. Kohli also expressed his belief that more than himself, the T20 World Cup victory was deserved by captain Rohit Sharma, highlighting Sharma’s leadership and contributions to the team’s success.
“Not something that I wasn’t going to announce even if we had lost. Time for the next generation to take the T20 game forward. It’s been a long wait for us, waiting to win an ICC tournament. You look at someone like Rohit, he’s played 9 T20 World Cups and this is my sixth. He deserves it. It’s been difficult to hold things (emotions) back and I think it’s going to sink in later. It’s an amazing day and I’m thankful.”
Virat Kohli represented India in 125 T20 International matches, establishing himself as the team’s second-highest run-getter in the format. Throughout his career, he accumulated 4188 runs at an impressive average of 48.69 and a strike rate of 137.04.
