Farewell to T20 Stars: Kohli and Sharma Retire After India’s World Cup Win

India’s celebrated cricketers, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, have bid adieu to T20 Internationals after clinching a stunning victory against South Africa in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. Kohli’s phenomenal knock of 76 runs off 59 balls played a pivotal role in India’s triumph.

Following his final international T20 innings, Kohli, who has amassed 4,188 runs in 125 matches, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to hand over the baton to the next generation of players.

Rohit Sharma, India’s skipper, also joined Kohli in retirement from T20 Internationals after the scintillating win against South Africa. Sharma, with 4,231 runs in 159 matches and five centuries, announced his departure from the T20 format during a press conference post the final.

Both Kohli and Sharma will continue to play Test and ODI cricket for India, underlining their illustrious careers and longstanding contributions to the sport.

Considered as modern batting giants, Kohli and Sharma’s retirements mark the end of an era in Indian cricket. Despite a slightly subpar performance in the T20 World Cup, Kohli’s standout innings in the final elevated India to a commanding total of 176-7, the highest in a T20 World Cup final.

This victory, which marked India’s first global title since the 2013 Champions Trophy, brought joy and relief to fans and players alike. The emotional and inspiring journey of Kohli and Sharma in T20 cricket culminated in a memorable World Cup triumph for India.

Sources: Al Jazeera, Star Sports