Virat Kohli retires from T20 International cricket after a winning knock in the World Cup final

Virat Kohli announced his retirement from T20 International cricket on Saturday, signalling the end of yet another era for the Indian cricket. He expresses his intent to make way for the next generation.

Kohli made the announcement after India's victory in a global tournament, which marked the country's first ICC tournament win in 11 years. The T20 international journey for team India after today's iconic World Cup win will be devoid of two legends: Virat Kohli and coach Rahul Dravid.

"This was my last T20 World Cup, this is exactly what we wanted to achieve," Kohli said in the post-match conversations following India's triumph. He added, "One day you feel like you can't get a run and this happens, God is great. (It is) 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 was awarded the Player of the Match (POTM) in the final against South Africa for his crucial fifty, scoring 76 runs off 59 balls, which included 6 fours and 2 sixes. This performance helped India secure a seven-run victory over South Africa in the T20 World Cup final.


Hailing Kohli's performance, team captain Rohit Sharma said, "Nobody was in doubt with Virat's form. We know the quality he has, come the occasion the big players will stand up. Virat was holding that end up for us, we wanted someone to bat as long as possible. This wasn't a wicket where a new guy could come and play straight. That's where the experience of Virat comes through."

Kohli revealed that he had intended to retire from T20 cricket regardless of the outcome of the tournament. "Yes I have, this was an open secret (retirement). 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," Kohli confirmed.

Reflecting on the long wait and the emotional journey, Kohli said, "It's been a long wait for us, waiting to win an ICC tournament. You look at someone like Rohit (Sharma), 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."

In his T20 International career, Kohli played 124 matches, amassing 4112 runs at an average of 48.38 and a strike rate of 137.2. His career includes one hundred and 37 fifties, with his highest score being 122. With the 2024 T20 World Cup, Kohli completed a remarkable cycle, having already won the 2011 ODI World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy.

From the initial reports, it is not yet clear whether Virat will retire from Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 tournament yet. The IPL trophy has still remined elusive for his franchise, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), with whom he has played over for a record 16 years.