'Wanted To Lift That Cup': What Virat Kohli Said When Announcing Retirement

Barbados: Virat Kohli announced his retirement from T20 International Cricket as India claimed the second T20 World Cup 2024 after a gap of 17 years beating South Africa in a nail-biting face-off in Barbados. Emotional Virat, finished things off in style, as he confirmed that the India vs South Africa T20 World Cup final was his last T20I match for India. Announcing the same in a post-match interaction with Harsha Bhogle after being adjudged the ‘Player Of the Match’ in the decisive clash, Kohli said, “This was my last T20 World Cup game. This was exactly what we wanted to achieve, It was an amazing game.”

Virat, who scored 76 off 59 in India's win by 7 runs over the Proteas, anchored the innings 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.

Filled with gratitude for getting the opportunity to bid farewell to the T20I with a World Cup victory, Virat Kohli said, “I was telling Rohit, that there are days you cannot buy a run, and then things happen (like today). God is great and I bow down to him, I am grateful I was able to get the runs when the team needed the most.”

“This is the last T20 Game that I have played for India. We wanted to lift the Cup and it was the occasion that helped me lift my game. It is time for the next generation to take over. They will take the team forward in the format,” said Kohli.

Expressing his emotion, he further stated, “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 is What Virat Kohli Said:

“This was my last T20 game playing for India. We wanted to lift that cup. Wanted to, yes I have, this was an open secret. 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 and do wonders as we have seen them do in the IPL. I have no doubts that they will keep the flag waving high and take this team further from here now. It's been a long wait for us just waiting to win an ICC tournament. It's not just me alone. You look at someone like Rohit, he's played 9 T20 World Cups and this is my sixth. He deserves it as much as anyone else in the squad."

“Just happy we were able to get the job done and really it's hard to explain the emotions I felt after the game. I knew what kind of mindset I was in. I wasn't very confident in the last few games. I wasn't feeling really good out there. But when God has to bless you with something he shows in ways that you can't imagine and that's why I said I'm grateful and humbled right now and I bow my head. It's been difficult and hence the emotions of the game went as well and the way we came back and the kind of character the guys showed it's really difficult to hold things back."

“I think it's going to sink in a little later, the emotions are going to come to the surface a little later more but it's just an amazing day and I couldn't be more thankful.”