• Sportzyverse
• Cricket news
• 06/30/2024
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Virat Kohli, the former India captain and the Player of the Match in the T20 World Cup 2024 final, has announced his retirement from T20 Internationals. He made the announcement immediately after India’s historic win over South Africa in the title clash in Barbados on Saturday. Kohli, who is widely regarded as one of India’s greatest cricketers, stated that it was time for the next generation to take over the control of the T20 format.

Kohli announce retirement from T20Is

Hailing from a middle-class family in Delhi to become a global cricketing icon, Kohli’s T20I career saw numerous highs and lows, especially during his tenure as captain. His journey ended perfectly, with India winning an ICC title after 11 years. “This was my last T20 World Cup, this is exactly what we wanted to achieve,” Kohli told the broadcasters after the victory.

“One day, you feel like you can’t get a run, and this happens; God is great. It is just the occasion, a now-or-never kind of situation. This was my last T20 game playing for India. We wanted to lift that cup.”

💬💬 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝟮𝟬 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗖𝘂𝗽: Virat Kohli

King Kohli bids adieu to the T20I format in style and mutual admiration for Captain Rohit Sharma 👏 🫡

Take A Bow on that glorious T20I career! 🙌#T20WorldCup | #TeamIndia | #SAvIND | @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/xqur8qmHDF

— BCCI (@BCCI) June 29, 2024

Confirming his retirement when asked by Harsha Bhogle, Kohli said, “Yes, I have. This was an open secret. Not something that I wasn’t going to announce even if we had lost. It’s time for the next generation to take the T20 game forward.” Kohli expressed immense satisfaction and relief at India’s long-awaited ICC tournament victory, specifically acknowledging his teammate Rohit Sharma’s dedication.

“It’s been a long wait for us, waiting to win an ICC tournament. You look at someone like Rohit (Sharma), he’s played in 9 T20 World Cups and this is my sixth. He deserves it. It’s been difficult to hold things back, and I think it’s going to sink in later. It’s an amazing day, and I’m thankful,” he added.

A Brief Look Back at Virat Kohli’s Illustrious T20I Career

Virat Kohli’s T20I career concludes with an impressive tally of 4,188 runs in 125 matches at an average of 48.69.

Kohli’s career is distinguished by his achievements in both the ODI and T20 World Cups, making him one of the rare cricketers to have won both. His T20I journey began in 2010, and despite several close calls, India often fell short of the ultimate prize until the 2024 edition. In this tournament, Kohli emerged as a saviour, particularly after India’s tough start against South Africa. He scored a crucial 76 off 59 balls, helping India post a formidable total of 176/7 in the final.

Also read India score 176/7 against South Africa, break record for highest score in T20 World Cup Final

Notably, he provided the much-needed anchor in the innings while wickets continuously fell on the other end. Although Virat scored a 48-ball fifty, he later pressed his ignition and charged the Proteas bowlers to take India to the 170 mark after the rocky start. This is what Virat Kohli is known for stepping up for the team when needed the most. Be it the run chase against Pakistan in the previous edition of the T20 World Cup or this match, King Kohli knows when to pull his socks up.

As cricket admirers, we know how heart-wrenching this retirement is. With MS Dhoni not playing, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma announcing their T20 retirement, we have to accept with a heavy heart that this is the end of an era that’ll be cherished the most.

Happy Retirement G.O.AT.!