Virat Kohli Bids Farewell to T20I Cricket with World Cup Win

Virat Kohli, one of cricket's legends, concluded his T20I career with a stellar performance, guiding India to their second T20 World Cup title. His 76 off 59 balls against South Africa marked his final innings in T20Is for India. Kohli expressed that it was time for the next generation to take over.

"This was my last T20 World Cup and this is exactly what we wanted to achieve. This is an amazing game. I was telling Rohit Sharma when we went out to bat, I was like, one day you feel like you can't get a run and then you come out and then things happen. God is great," Kohli told host broadcasters after bagging the player of the match award.

Next Generation's Turn

Kohli emphasised the importance of passing the baton to younger players. He stated, "It's time for the next generation to take over. It's a two-year cycle for next T20 WC, there're some amazing players playing in India. They're going to take the team forward in the T20 format and do wonders as we've seen them do in the IPL."

In his T20I career spanning 125 matches, Kohli amassed 4188 runs at an average of 48.69, with his highest score being 122 against Afghanistan in September 2022. This was his only T20 century.

Gratitude and Reflection

Kohli expressed immense gratitude for being able to deliver when it mattered most. "I bow my head in gratitude. I'm just really grateful I was able to get the job done for the team on the day that it mattered the most," he added.

Reflecting on his final game, Kohli said, "It was now or never kind of a situation I knew. This is my last T20 game for India. It's the last World Cup that I was going to play. So, I wanted to make the most of it and this was our aim. We wanted to win an ICC tournament."

Respecting Clutch Moments

Kohli revealed his approach to handling crucial moments in matches. "As I said, it was the occasion that helped me put my head down and just respect the situation rather than trying to force things out there and just really play the game that my team wanted me to play," he noted.

Despite India's victory, Kohli admitted he had already decided to retire from T20Is regardless of the outcome. "Yes, I have. This was an open secret. It was not something that I was not going to announce even if we had lost. This was going to be my last T20 World Cup for India," he said.

Rohit Sharma's Achievement

Kohli expressed happiness for his long-time teammate and captain Rohit Sharma, who secured his second T20 World Cup title. Rohit had previously been part of India's victorious squad in 2007 under MS Dhoni's leadership.

"It's been a long wait for us to win an ICC tournament. It's not just me alone. You look at someone like Rohit as well. He's played nine T20 World Cups. This is my sixth. So, he deserves it as much as anyone else in the squad," Kohli remarked.

Emotional Rollercoaster

Kohli admitted entering the final with low confidence due to a lean run in earlier stages of the tournament. "It's hard to explain…the emotions I felt after the game. I knew what kind of mindset I was in. I wasn't very confident in the last few games. I wasn't feeling really good out there," he shared.

He acknowledged divine intervention in his performance, saying, "But when God has to bless you with something, he shows you in ways that you can't imagine. That's why I said I'm really grateful and humbled right now."

Known for maintaining composure, Kohli showed his emotional side after this significant achievement. "It's been difficult and hence the emotions. It's really difficult to hold things back. I think it's going to sink in a little later and the emotions are going to come to the surface little later. But it's just an amazing day and I couldn't be more thankful," he concluded.