Virat Kohli Retires from T20Is After Leading India to T20 World Cup Victory
Bridgetown, Barbados, June 30: Star Indian cricketer Virat Kohli announced his retirement from T20 Internationals (T20Is) after helping India win their second ICC T20 World Cup title. Kohli played a match-winning knock of 76 runs in the final against South Africa.
India’s Thrilling Victory
India secured a seven-run victory over South Africa in a thrilling final held in Barbados. Key contributions came from bowlers Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya, along with stellar batting performances by Kohli and Axar Patel.
Virat Kohli’s Statement
In 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 is been a long wait for us, waiting to win an ICC tournament. You look at someone like Rohit, he has played 9 T20 World Cups and this is my sixth. He deserves it.”
Match Highlights
India won the toss and chose to bat first. Despite early setbacks, Kohli (76) and Axar Patel (47) formed a crucial partnership, taking India to a total of 176/7. South Africa’s chase was thwarted by India’s bowlers, who restricted them to 169/8.
Individual Performances
Kohli’s 76 runs came off 59 balls, including six fours and two sixes. He ended the tournament with 151 runs in eight innings. In his T20 World Cup career, Kohli scored 1,292 runs, making him the highest run-scorer in the tournament’s history. In T20Is, he scored 4,188 runs, making him the second-highest run-getter of all time.
India’s Bowling Prowess
Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya were instrumental in India’s victory, especially in the death overs. Their combined efforts ensured South Africa fell short by seven runs.
Conclusion
With this victory, India ended their ICC trophy drought, having last won an ICC title in 2013. Kohli was named ‘Player of the Match’ for his outstanding performance.
