In a historic moment for Indian cricket, star batter Virat Kohli announced his retirement from T20 Internationals (T20Is) following India’s thrilling seven-run victory over South Africa in the ICC T20 World Cup final. Kohli’s match-winning knock of 76 runs was pivotal in securing India’s second T20 World Cup title at Barbados on Saturday.
The victory was a collective effort with the Indian bowlers Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya delivering a fine exhibition of death bowling. Kohli, alongside Axar Patel, provided the crucial runs that helped end India’s long ICC trophy drought.
Speaking during the post-match presentation, Kohli said, “This was my last T20 World Cup, this is exactly what we wanted to achieve. One day you feel like you cannot get a run and this happens, God is great. Just the occasion, now or never kind of situation. This was my last T20 game playing for India. We wanted to lift that cup. Not something that I was not going to announce even if we had lost. Time for the next generation to take the T20 game forward. It has been a long wait for us, waiting to win an ICC tournament. You look at someone like Rohit, he has played nine T20 World Cups and this is my sixth. He deserves it.”
Despite a challenging start in the tournament, managing only 75 runs in the first seven innings, Kohli’s performance in the final was a testament to his resilience and skill. He scored 76 runs off 59 balls, with six fours and two sixes, at a strike rate of 128.81.
Kohli concluded the tournament with 151 runs in eight innings at an average of 18.87 and a strike rate of 112.68, including one fifty. Over his T20 World Cup career, he accumulated 1,292 runs in 35 matches at an average of 58.72 and a strike rate of 128.81, featuring 15 half-centuries and a top score of 89*. He retires as the highest run-scorer in T20 World Cup history.
In his illustrious T20I career, Kohli played 125 matches, amassing 4,188 runs at an average of 48.69 and a strike rate of 137.04, with one century and 38 fifties, and a highest score of 122*. He ends his T20I journey as the second-highest run-getter of all time.
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