(ANI Photo)
On June 29, 2024, the Indian cricket team silenced their critics emphatically by ending an over decade-long drought of ICC trophies. India clinched the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 title with a thrilling seven-run victory over South Africa in Barbados, marking their first major trophy in 11 years.
While celebrating their second T20 World Cup triumph after 17 years, the joyous occasion was tinged with sadness as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirement from T20I cricket.
Kohli, speaking to Harsha Bhogle while receiving the Player of the Match award, confirmed that this tournament marked the end of his T20I career with Team India. Similarly, Rohit Sharma announced his retirement in the post-match press conference, shortly after celebrating India’s memorable victory.
Reacting to these announcements, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Roger Binny acknowledged the significant loss to Indian cricket. He expressed the challenge of filling the void left by the departure of Kohli and Rohit, describing it as a big loss. Binny noted that it could take two to three years for the team to find suitable replacements but expressed optimism about identifying talented players from the Indian Premier League (IPL) to step into their roles.
It is going to be a great loss for Indian cricket: Roger Binny on Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma’s retirement
Roger Binny said: “They have been outstanding…it is going to be very difficult to replace them immediately…it is going to be a great loss at the moment. They have contributed so much. Hopefully, we should get some young cricketers through the IPL.
There is so much talent in the IPL. Lot of cricketers are coming through but it is going to take some time to bridge the gap. They have contributed so much. It’s not going to be easy but we can try and get some young cricketers to do what they have done. We will probably see in the next two-three years, the team coming back into its own without them.”
Binny also praised Rahul Dravid, highlighting his exceptional cricketing career and noting his significant contribution as head coach, attributing it to the invaluable experience he brought to the team. The BCCI president emphasized that Dravid’s coaching tenure has been commendable, acknowledging his outstanding work.
Binny expressed empathy for Dravid, particularly regarding the disappointment of losing the ODI World Cup 2023 at home.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired as the top two run-scorers in T20I cricket. Rohit accumulated 4,231 runs in 151 T20I matches with an average of 32.05, featuring five centuries and 32 half-centuries.
Meanwhile, Kohli amassed 4,188 runs at a remarkable average of 48.69 in 125 T20I matches for India, including one century and 38 half-centuries. Despite their T20I retirements, both players will remain active in ODI and Test cricket, as well as continuing to feature prominently in the IPL.
