India's veteran Virat Kohli has announced his T20I retirement after the Men in Blue won the 2024 edition against South Africa.
The 35-year-old bagged Player of the Match for his 59-ball 76 and announced in the post-match presser that it was his last T20 World Cup and last game of the shorter format for India.
"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," Kohli said after the match.
"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 added.
Kohli ended his 125-match T20I career as India's second-highest run-scorer in the format - 4188 at an average of 48.69 and strike rate of 137.04.
South Africa, chasing the 177 target in the final, fell seven runs short of the target. The only players to put up a front against the Indian bowling attack were Quinton de Kock and Heinrich Klaasen who scored 39 off 31 and 52 off 27 respectively.
Earlier, Rohit Sharma had won the toss and elected to bat first. The decision, at first, did not seem right as Rohit, Rishabh Pant and Suryakumar Yadav fell early on in the innings.
However, Kohli who couldn't perform in the entire T20 World Cup 2024, blasted an innings of 76 runs off 59 balls, helping India to reach a total of 176 at the loss of seven wickets.
Accepting the Player of the Match award, Kohli also confirmed that this was his last T20 World Cup and T20I match while representing India and he will now hang up his boots.
Kohli’s glorious T20I career began in 2010 and the veteran batter went on to represent India in 125 T20Is scoring 4,188 runs averaging 48.69.
For India, this is their second T20 World Cup title win. The country won their first T20 World Cup title in 2007 (the inaugural edition of the tournament) defeating Pakistan in the final.
This T20 World Cup 2024 also ends India’s drought of trophies as they last won an ICC trophy back in 2013 when they won the Champions Trophy under the leadership of MS Dhoni.