Virat Kohli, the former Indian cricket team captain, announced his retirement from T20I cricket after India's historic win over South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2024 final on Saturday.
Kohli, who was named Player of the Match for his crucial 76 runs off 59 balls, said it was time for the next generation to take over.
Kohli said, "This was my last T20 World Cup, and this is exactly what we wanted to achieve."
Kohli’s retirement announcement came shortly after the match, where India set a record total of 176/7.
South Africa, despite their efforts, could only manage 169 runs for the loss of 8 wickets.
"One day you feel like you can't get a run, and then this happens. God is great. This was my last T20 game for India. We wanted to lift that cup," Kohli said.
He confirmed that his retirement was not dependent on the outcome of the match, stating, "Not something that I wasn't going to announce even if we had lost."
Reflecting on the long wait for an ICC tournament victory, Kohli praised his teammate Rohit Sharma, who played in nine T20 World Cups.
Kohli said, "He deserves it. It's been difficult to hold things back, and I think it's going to sink in later. It's an amazing day, and I'm thankful."
He ended his T20I career with 1292 runs, the most scored in T20 World Cups, and a total of 4188 runs in T20Is, making him the second-highest run-getter in the format.
