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On the 29th of June 2024, Indian cricket achieved a historic milestone when the Men In Blue emerged victorious in the ICC T20 World Cup held in Barbados. However, amidst the jubilation, the sport bid farewell to two stalwarts, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, both iconic figures in Indian cricket.
For Rohit Sharma, the day marked a significant chapter in his career’s journey. He had begun as one of the youngest members of the Indian team that clinched the 2007 T20 World Cup under MS Dhoni in Johannesburg. Now, in Barbados, he captained the team to eternal glory, completing a full circle in his international career.
India had been in pursuit of an ICC title for the past 11 years, with the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 being their last triumph. Entrusting Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma with the captaincy for ICC tournaments marked a pivotal moment. Despite Kohli’s efforts, the ultimate prize had eluded him, leading to the decision to appoint Rohit Sharma as the captain across all formats after the ICC T20 World Cup 2021.
Under Rohit’s leadership, starting from the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup, India began to redefine their approach to limited-overs cricket, signaling a new era in their cricketing strategy.
Rohit Sharma, true to his promises, pledged after the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia to adopt a more aggressive approach in India’s limited-overs cricket. This commitment was vividly evident in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, where Rohit led by example.
Throughout the tournament, Rohit consistently ensured India started each game with a bang, setting the stage for the rest of the batting lineup. However, India’s dream run in the World Cup encountered a setback when Australia halted their unbeaten streak in Ahmedabad on the night of November 19, 2023.
Following the conclusion of the ODI World Cup 2023, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah affirmed that Rohit Sharma would continue to lead India in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024, with Rahul Dravid as coach.
Speculation swirled about Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s prospects in the T20 World Cup, considering their IPL form and the challenging batting conditions expected in the USA and West Indies. Yet, Rohit Sharma seamlessly transitioned into World Cup mode, fulfilling the commitment he made to Indian fans after the 2022 tournament loss. In the final showdown, it was Virat Kohli who delivered his finest performance of the tournament, propelling India to victory as they returned from the West Indies adorned with the ICC T20 World Cup trophy.
Amid nationwide jubilation, Virat Kohli took the stage during the post-match presentation to announce his retirement from T20Is, expressing his desire to pave the way for India’s younger talent to lead the team to even greater achievements.
Shortly after the euphoria of winning the T20 World Cup began to settle, Rohit Sharma, the Indian captain, made a similar declaration during a press conference, declaring his retirement from T20I cricket as well.
“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,” Virat Kohli stated in the post-match presentation
“Wanted to Yes I have, this was an open secret. 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 and do wonders as we have seen them do in the IPL. I have no doubts that they will keep the flag waving high and take this team further from here now,” Kohli further added.
“This was my last game as well,” the captain said in his post-match press conference, referring to Virat Kohli’s earlier announcement that he will be retiring from T20Is.
“I’ve enjoyed since the time I started playing this format. Better a time to say goodbye to this format. I’ve loved every moment of this.
“This is what I wanted – I wanted to win the cup,” and he saluted the room, to applause from the media.
