India won World Cup; Kohli and Rohit retire from T20I

India won the ICC men's T20 Cricket World Cup in an electrifying cup final in Barbados.

After India's thrilling seven-run victory over South Africa, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announced they had played in their last T20 internationals.



Kohli, aged 35, received the player of the match award for his 76 runs. He announced this would be his last T20 World Cup and expressed their team's determination to secure the title.

Kohli said it's now the moment for the younger generation to take control. The team will be led by exceptional players who will propel it forward and maintain its high standard.

He continued, I completed the task for the team on the crucial day. It was my last T20 for India, and I wanted to enjoy every moment. I embraced the situation instead of resisting it, creating a meaningful conclusion to my T20 journey.

Former India captain Kohli, a great batsman, surprised everyone by scoring 76 runs on Saturday, the highest he had scored in the entire tournament. It was a perfect match to end his T20 career.

Before the final at Kensington Oval, he had scored 75 runs in seven innings.

"No better time."

Before the final, Rohit, who started the game with Kohli, had been the best batter for the team, with 248 runs, three fifties, and an average of over 41.

With 4,231 runs, he leaves the format as the top scorer in T20 internationals. Kohli comes in second with 4,188 runs.

Rohit has scored five centuries in T20 internationals, which is a record.

He has also won two T20 World Cups, the first as a player in 2007 and the second as captain in 2024. 

It was also my last T20I game. After the match, Rohit told the news reporters, There is no better time to say goodbye to this format.

I've loved every second of this. I started my job in India by playing this game. He said This is what I wanted; I wanted to win the Cup.

It's hard to put into words. It meant so much to me to win this trophy. I'm thrilled that we've finally achieved the title, Rohit expressed.

Since the tournament started, Rohit has been India's best player, while Kohli has had trouble scoring runs.

On Saturday, Rohit was out after scoring nine runs.

On the other hand, Kohli rebuilt the game during a 72-run stand with Axar Patel (47), which helped India get to 176-7. Excellent bowling and defense held South Africa to 169-8. 

Rohit said no one doubted Kohli; we all know how good he is.

Kohli finished his T20 career with 4,188 runs in 117 games, including 138 fifties and an average of almost 49.

For the last 15 years, he has been at the top of his game.

When the stakes are high, big stars step up, and he played a key knock today.

It was a team effort to get to that total, but we knew we needed someone to bat time, and he did that perfectly, using all his experience, said Rohit.

Rahul Dravid's time as India's T20 coach ended with a heartwarming moment. The team jubilantly celebrated by lifting him high, marking a truly memorable occasion.

I'm very happy for Rahul; he has done so much for Indian cricket, including when he was playing and now coaching, Rohit said

He said he had worked hard with this time for three years, supported the team a lot, and understood what the boys needed.