Even after winning the World Cup final against South Africa, India experienced a significant loss: they lost Virat Kohli from the T20 format.
India rejoices as world champions, a triumph both natural and momentous. Yet, amidst the celebrations, tears flow freely among Indian cricket fans. Some cry tears of joy for winning the cup, while others are heartbroken over Virat Kohli’s emotional farewell from T20 cricket.
Kohli’s Retirement Announcement
The cricket legend Virat Kohli announced his retirement from T20 cricket during the post-match presentation.
Though Virat Kohli struggles to score, wants to give chances to newcomers, and faces the realities of aging, his fans still long to see him play. Today, despite winning the cup, disappointment lingers on their faces. Even with the World Cup victory, the fans are not able to bring themselves to celebrate with fireworks.
A Leader’s Farewell
After winning the T20 World Cup trophy, Kohli made this tragic decision to give youngsters a chance to represent the nation and thrive.
Kohli’s Post-Match Statement
In his post-match statement, Virat Kohli said, “This was my last T20 World Cup; this is exactly what we wanted to achieve.”
He added, “One day you feel like you can’t get a run and this happens, God is great. (It is) just the occasion, now or never kind of situation. This was my last T20 game playing for India. We wanted to lift that cup.”
Prepared for the Moment
Virat made it clear that he was prepared to announce retirement even if India did not win the World Cup. “Yes I have, this was an open secret (retirement). Not something that I wasn’t going to announce even if we had lost. Time for the next generation to take the T20 game forward,” Kohli confirmed when asked if he was making the official announcement about him calling it a day.
A Tribute to Rohit Sharma
Virat Kohli also mentioned skipper Rohit Sharma while describing the importance of this cup for them. He said, “It’s been a long wait for us, waiting to win an ICC tournament. You look at someone like Rohit (Sharma), he’s played 9 T20 World Cups and this is my sixth.”
Kohli added, “He deserves it. It’s been difficult to hold things (emotions) back and I think it’s going to sink in later. It’s an amazing day, and I’m thankful,” Kohli added.
A New Era Begins
The world respects his decision to give chances to the newcomers. Fans will love to watch their hero playing ODI and Test cricket.
Also read: India Wins T20 World Cup Final but Loses Kohli to Retirement
