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Gambhir’s comments followed the announcements of Rohit Sharma (4231 runs) and Virat Kohli (4188 runs) retiring from international T20 cricket as the highest and second-highest run-scorers respectively.
Beyond their personal milestones, both players celebrated significant team achievements at Barbados’ Kensington Oval. While Kohli claimed his first World T20 title, Rohit Sharma revisited the joy of India’s 2007 victory in Johannesburg as a young player.
India’s success in 2024 marks another peak in the country’s cricketing history, tying with West Indies as the joint-most decorated team globally with four trophies. Australia leads with six ODI World Cups, along with one each in the World Test Championship and T20 World Cup.
Reflecting on their retirements, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli leave a legacy for the younger generation while demonstrating the winning formula for modern tournaments amidst challenging conditions.
Looking ahead, their focus shifts to excelling in One Day Internationals (ODIs), where Rohit Sharma seeks his first major title as captain after near misses in recent campaigns against Australia. With their experience and resilience, both players aim to capitalize on lessons learned from past disappointments to achieve new heights in their careers.
Gautam Gambhir, potentially India’s next head coach, expressed admiration for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s contributions to Indian cricket and urged them to consider continuing their careers in ODI and Test cricket, provided they maintain their fitness.
Gambhir extended thanks and congratulations to Kohli and Rohit for their pivotal roles in India’s World Cup victory. He emphasized his belief that their continued presence in ODI and red-ball cricket could potentially lead India to more successes on the global stage.
“They both are great players and have done so much for Indian cricket. I really want to congratulate and wish them all the best. They still play One Day and Test cricket. I am sure they are going to keep contributing to success of country and team,” Gautam Gambhir told PTI.
