Virat Kohli announced his retirement from T20 international cricket after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup final at Kensington Oval in Barbados, where India took control. Kohli hit a match-winning 76 and took home the Man of the Match award as India came out on top of their last ball and secured a thrilling seven-run win over South Africa.
“This was my last T20 World Cup and this is exactly what we wanted to achieve,” Kohli declared during a charged post-match interview. He also expressed deep gratitude, saying, “God is great. I bow my head in gratitude.”
Kohli showed respect for the game’s unpredictability, thanking his team for being at his side, and added that all it does is contribute when it really matters. His performance in the final and throughout the tournament really crystallizes him as one of the greats of T20 cricket.
Kohli retires with 4188 runs from 125 matches at an average of 48.69 and a strike rate of 137.04. He is India’s second-highest run-getter in T20 internationals, an epitome of consistency, with his contributions often coming in the most important moments of the game.
Even though Kohli’s determination came to the fore in the semi-final and final rounds of the tournament, there were still a few bumps. His retirement notice was an end of an era to the T20 team of India; his fans and fellow teammates congratulated him on such a great career built.
The departure of Kohli will be a big vacuum left, but his legacy will be there enthusing generations of cricketers in times to come. The last inning he played during the World Cup will be a befitting pillar standing forever as time stands witness to his talent and character as a cricketer.
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