The T20 World Cup final proved to be the perfect farewell for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.© X (Twitter)
Team India’s T20 World Cup triumph last week was nothing less than a fairytale for the two stalwarts of the game — Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The seven-run win over South Africa in the summit clash proved to be the perfect farewell for Kohli and Rohit, with the two announcing their T20I retirements after the match. While Kohli made the announcement shortly after the final, Rohit followed the suit during the post-match press conference. Kohli was named ‘Man of the Match’ in the final, while Rohit became the first Indian captain in 11 years to lift an ICC title.
Both Kohli and Rohit were emotional after the final as they two embraced each other on the ground. The two also shared a moment on the stairs leading to the Indian dressing room.
An unseen video of outgoing head coach Rahul Dravid‘s reaction to Rohit and Kohli hugging each other on the stairs has gone viral. Dravid was coming down from the dressing room when the two were hugging each other. The 50-year-old took a moment to pat their backs before heading towards the pitch.
VIDEO OF THE DAY.
– The Emotional hug of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma after won the T20 World Cup Trophy. pic.twitter.com/oKwPXIoxfU
— Tanuj Singh (@ImTanujSingh) July 3, 2024
On Rohit and Kohli’s T20I retirements, India pacer Mohammed Shami expressed his shock, saying filling their places in the team is going to be tough task.
“The retirement of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from T20Is was a shock. They have been stalwarts for India, delivering outstanding performances for the country for 15-16 years and earning their titles as kings of white-ball cricket. Both retiring simultaneously is shocking, but it’s part of the natural cycle-when one player leaves, another steps in. However, replacing such stars in the team will be a significant challenge,” said Shami.
“Bidding goodbye to a journey after achieving your goal is a truly emotional moment. I would like to thank both Rohit and Virat for winning matches for the team, playing amazing innings for India, and breaking records along the way,” he added.
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