Bridgetown (Barbados): Two giants of the game – Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli – lived and left the T20 world grandly, on top of the world, after winning the World Cup in a nerve-wrecking Final at Barbados.
While the skipper announced his retirement as casually as he pulls the ball to delectable sixes, saying “Mera ho gaya. Yeh mera last thha,” at the Press conference, Kohli said he was retiring from T20 at the Man of the Match presentation.
“This was my last t20 World Cup, and this is what we wanted to achieve. One day you feel you can't get a run, then things happen. God is great, and I got the job done for the team on the day it mattered. Now or never, last T20 for India, wanted to make the most of it. Wanted to lift the Cup, wanted to respect the situation rather than force it. This was an open secret, it's time for the next generation to take over, some amazing players will take the team forward and keep the flag waving high," he said.
Kohli gave pride of place to his skipper when asked if this was the moment for him to be on shoulders, like Sachin Tendulkar in 2011.
"Rohit has played nine T20 World Cups, this is my sixth. He deserves it. I wasn't confident in the last few games, but grateful and humble right now, and I bow my head. It's been difficult, and the emotions of the game... it's difficult to hold things back. The emotions will come later..." he said.
As for Sharma, asked if was planning to stay on longer, he said: “No, no, this was my last game as well. No, honestly, I've enjoyed since the time I started playing this format. And nothing better time to say goodbye to this format. I've loved every moment of this. I started my India career playing this format. And this is what I wanted. I wanted to win the Cup and say thank you,” he added.
Sharma, indeed, wanted the Cup as his swan song moment. "I wanted this badly. Very hard to put in words. It was a very emotional moment for me. I was very desperate for this title in my life. Happy that we eventually crossed the line," he said.
It’s been a rich and long career for both Sharma and Kohli and their markers have been high, being on top of the game, and setting examples for the youth brigade to follow.
Kohli, finally performed like the rockstar he is in the Big Final and when India needed it most. A 76-run feat in 59 balls under squeezy conditions, Player of the Match and a Cup to kiss – that’s a befitting tribute he gave to his scintillating career in the format which brought him to the top of the pedestal, next to Sharma, where he stays for a while till someone, hopefully from Team India, makes more runs than him.
Kohli ended his 125-match T20I career as India's second-highest run-scorer behind Sharma in the format - 4188 at an average of 48.69 and strike rate of 137.04.
He had endured a difficult T20 World Cup up until the semi-final - scoring only 75 runs in seven innings before he made 76 off 59 balls in the final.
"Today I just felt different. I was more anchored, more in sync with the situation. And I was given the composure to just put aside everything that had gone on till now. You are a senior player and people look at you to contribute and to win a World Cup. Rohit and I have spoken many times previously that before we go, we need to win in this format. You can't imagine these things in your wildest dreams," he reiterated.
Sharma has retired as the T20 format’s highest scorer - 4231 runs in 159 matches - and also holds the record for the most centuries (five) in T20 internationals. He's won two T20 World Cup titles: The inaugural one as a player in 2007 and now as captain in 2024.
From here on, it is Pandya and Co to do youthful things for Indian cricket.
