Virat Kohli Announces T20 Retirement, Says, “This Was My Last T20 World Cup For India”

India’s star batter, Virat Kohli, announced that the 2024 edition of the T20 World Cup would be his final appearance in the tournament as a player. This revelation came after India secured a seven-run victory over South Africa in Barbados on Saturday, a match in which Kohli was named Player of the Match for his crucial 76-run innings.

Kohli Announces T20I Retirement

“This was my last T20 World Cup, and this is exactly what we wanted to achieve,” Kohli shared during the post-match interview. “One day you feel like you can’t get a run, and then this happens. God is great. It was a now-or-never situation. This was my last T20 game for India. We wanted to lift that cup. Yes, it was an open secret.”

Kohli added, “It’s time for the next generation to take the T20 game forward. It’s been a long wait for us, winning an ICC tournament. Look at someone like Rohit, he’s played in nine T20 World Cups, and this is my sixth. He deserves it.”

Kohli’s innings was pivotal in the final for India, especially after having scored only 75 runs in his previous seven matches in the tournament. India found themselves struggling at 34 for three during the Powerplay after choosing to bat first. Kohli then partnered with Axar Patel, and together, they rescued the team by putting on a 72-run stand for the fourth wicket.

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Kohli carefully crafted a 48-ball half-century, which was the second-slowest T20I half-century for India, before finishing his innings with 76 runs off 59 deliveries, including six fours and two sixes. At 35 years old, Kohli joined the ranks of Marlon Samuels and Kumar Sangakkara as the only men to score multiple fifties in T20 World Cup finals.