Within minutes of India lifting their second T20 World Cup title at the Kensington Oval, Barbados, Virat Kohli stated his intention to quit T20Is. An hour or so later, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma followed suit by announcing his retirement from the shortest format of the game during the post-match press conference.Â
None of the two retirements come as a surprise as Rohit has just turned 37 and Kohli will be 36 in November. Both of them have spent  at least a decade and a half representing the country.
A World Cup winner’s medal around their necks means there is nothing more left for them to achieve for the country in T20s. That, allied with the fact that a younger bunch is ready to take over, contributed in no small measure to their calls.
What’s next for them? Certainly T20 franchise cricket, from all indications. There is no sign yet that they are walking away from the 20-over game in its entirety, so their fans still have plenty to look forward to in that regard. But they also have lots to contribute to the national team, given their pre-eminence in both Tests and One-Day Internationals.
