India lifted the T20 World Cup title after a gap of 17 years on Saturday. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, and Mohammed Siraj were super emotional. All these players were spotted having tears in their eyes. It was all justified as India were set to lose a third ICC tournament final in around a year’s time, but they managed to eke out a narrow seven-run win in the T20 World Cup 2024 summit clash against South Africa. After India’s victory, Virat’s wife and Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma put a heartfelt post on social media.
“Our daughter’s biggest concern was if all the players had someone to hug them after she saw them cry on tv….. Yes, My darling, they were hugged by 1.5 billion people What a phenomenal victory and what a legendary achievement!! CHAMPIONS – CONGRATULATIONS!!” wrote Anushka.
Star batter Virat Kohli on Saturday announced his retirement from T20Is after guiding India to their second T20 World Cup win.
Kohli anchored the innings with a match-winning 59-ball 76 with two sixes and six fours to lift India from a precarious 34 for three inside the powerplay, to a formidable 176 for seven, cornerstone of India’s 7-run victory over South Africa.
Kohli said after collecting the Man of the Match award that it was his las T20I match for India.
“This was my last T20 World Cup, this is exactly what we wanted to achieve,” Kohli told the broadcast after India’s win in a global tournament after 11 years.
“One day you feel like you can’t get a run and this happens, God is great. (It is) just the occasion, now or never kind of situation. This was my last T20 game playing for India. We wanted to lift that cup,” he said.
“Yes I have, this was an open secret (retirement). Not something that I wasn’t going to announce even if we had lost. Time for the next generation to take the T20 game forward,” Kohli confirmed when asked if he was making the official announcement about him calling it a day.
“It’s been a long wait for us, waiting to win an ICC tournament. You look at someone like Rohit (Sharma), he’s played 9 T20 World Cups and this is my sixth.
“He deserves it. It’s been difficult to hold things (emotions) back and I think it’s going to sink in later. It’s an amazing day and I’m thankful,” Kohli added.
(With PTI Inputs)
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