Team India legend Virat Kohli announces retirement from T20Is: Details
Team India legend Virat Kohli announced his retirement from T20Is following India's seven-run victory against South Africa in the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup. He was awarded the Player of the Match for his 59-ball 76. Kohli, who struggled in the tournament, had his say in the most important clash. Kohli signs off as the second-highest scorer in T20Is for now.
'This was my last T20 game playing for India'
"This was my last T20 World Cup, this is exactly what we wanted to achieve," Kohli said. "One day you feel like you can't 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."
This was an open secret, says Kohli
"Yes I have (announced my retirement from T20Is), this was an open secret. It was not something that I wasn't going to announce even if we had lost. It's time for the next generation to take the T20 game forward," Kohli added.
Kohli shines in the all-important final
Kohli hit 6 fours and two sixes in his knock of 76. He struck at 128.81. He added two fifty-plus stands alongside Axar Patel and Shivam Dube. India managed 176/7 after losing three quick wickets. Kohli became the second batter to slam two fifties in the T20 WC finals. He has five fifties across six outings in T20 WC semi-finals and final.
Kohli owns the most runs in T20 World Cup history
The highest run-getter in T20 WC history, Kohli now owns 1,292 runs from 35 matches at a fine average of 58.72. His strike rate reads 128.81. Notably, the veteran's average in the competition was a stunning 81.50 heading into this tournament. Kohli's tally of 15 50-plus scores at the event is also the most for any batter.
39 fifty-plus scores in T20Is
Kohi managed 4,188 runs across 125 T20Is at 48.69 (SR: 137.07). Only Rohit Sharma (4,231) has more runs in the format. Kohli's tally of 39 fifty-plus scores is now the joint-most for a batter in the format. (100s: 1). He joined Pakistan's Babar Azam. The former now owns 394 T20I runs against SA at 39.40 (50s: 3).
