NEW DELHI: As the celebrations continued with India’s historic triumph against South Africa for the T20 World Cup title, it was time for two pillars of Indian cricket to bid adieu to T20Is. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma both announced their retirements from the shortest format of the game in international cricket.

WISH TEAM INDIA ON WINNING T20 WORLD CUP

Soon after India’s title victory, a video went viral that shows both Virat and Rohit celebrating with the Indian flag by wrapping the ‘Tiranga’ on their shoulders with Rohit also holding the T20 World Cup trophy.

Following an exciting final in which India defeated South Africa by seven runs, Rohit hoisted the T20 World Cup trophy in Barbados. Having played in all nine editions of the shortest format, Rohit leaves a lasting legacy. He won his second T20 championship 17 years after being a member of MS Dhoni’s winning squad in the event’s first year in 2007. After 159 matches since his debut in 2007, Rohit finished his T20 innings for India as the format’s top scorer with 4,231 runs, five hundreds.

There were doubts regarding whether India should continue to play Virat Kohli until the T20 World Cup final. One of the greatest cricketers India has ever produced just wasn’t scoring. In seven games, he had scored 75 runs with two ducks. India won all the matches, but thanks to the bowlers and middle order, Kohli was relegated to an unimpressive afterthought.

In the Saturday final match against South Africa, Kohli’s 76 off 59 balls to lead India’s batting in a competitive score of 176-7 paid off. In a thrilling victory by seven runs, the bowlers masterfully protected the total to establish India as the global champions for the first time in thirteen years. When it comes to Kohli, class wins. He has consistently delivered when it counts. Virat top scored with 77 off 58 in the 2014 Dhaka final, but India lost to Sri Lanka. Virat struck an unbeaten 89 off 47 in the semifinals of 2016 that India lost against the West Indies in Mumbai. Virat struck 50 off 40 in the 2022 semifinal defeat to England in Adelaide, and he finished as the World Cup’s T20 captain.

Slightly ahead of Rohit, Virat leads in the number of runs scored after six T20 World Cups; nevertheless, he has chosen to end his 14-year T20I career on a good note rather than continue to the next World Cup, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka in 2026. By then, he would be 37 years old.