The confetti shimmered like a thousand dreams realized, raining down on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as they held aloft the T20 World Cup trophy gleaming under the floodlights of Kensington Oval in Barbados.
Virat and Rohit walked up to the microphone to give their victory speeches and a different kind of farewell on a night where billions of emotions were high after the triumph final.
While receiving the Man of the Match award for his crucial innings of 76 of 39 balls, Virat said, “This was my last T20 World Cup, this is exactly what we (Indian Cricket Team) wanted to achieve, now it’s time for the next generation to take over.”
After receiving the medals and awards, Rohit Sharma also announced his retirement officially. While addressing the post match conference Sharma said, “That was my last game as well. Honestly I have enjoyed it since the time I started playing this format. There’s no better time to say good bye to this format, winning the World Cup is what I wanted.” India’s star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja also hung up his boots from T20 Internationals.
Kohli has always been the star performer for India from his debut 2012 World Cup. Over the years his statistics speaks for himself and whenever the team needed him he performed. The 35-year-old batsman has the recorded for the most number of 1292 runs in T20 World Cup in 35 matches with overall average 58.72 followed by Rohit Sharma who has second most number of runs in World Cup, 1220 in 47 matches with the average of 34.85.
The former Indian Captain known for his match winning knocks in T20 World Cup campaigns, his feat came in big matches like 2014 semi final and final, 2016 Semi Final, and the clash against Pakistan in Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG 2022), to which Virat rated his biggest T20 innings of his career.
Rohit whose debut for India was in the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 under the leadership of MS Dhoni, from being the middle order batsman to being the opening batsman his journey has been remarkable. He appeared in nine World Cup Campaigns (2007-2024).
Rohit became the captain when Virat left his captaincy in 2021 T20 World Cup, from where Sharma took the charge and made it to semi final in 2022 World Cup feat and won the 2024 World Cup.
The day after the world cup win and celebrations, India’s star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja also hung up his boots from T20 Internationals. “With a heart full of gratitude, I bid farewell to T20 internationals. Like a steadfast horse galloping with pride, I’ve always given my best for my country and will continue to do so in other formats,” Jadeja wrote on his Instagram handle.
Jadeja has appeared in eight World Cup campaigns (2009-2024). The 35-year-old all-rounder has been known for his sharp fielding skill and contribution with the ball in the middle overs and quick hand in batting.
It was a night that belonged to Virat and Rohit, the ones who rewrote the record books and captured the hearts of millions. Their retirements marked the end of an era, and also a new beginning for the future of Indian cricket.
As the curtains closed on their T20 careers, one thing was certain that the two champions will always be remembered for his heroics. They would forever be etched in the annals of cricketing history, their names synonymous with power, elegance, and sheer brilliance.
