Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma retire from T20I cricket after World Cup win

Indian cricket legends Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have announced their retirement from T20 internationals following their triumphant World Cup victory in Barbados.

Kohli earned the man of the match title for his crucial 76-run performance, while Rohit made history by becoming the first Indian captain to lift the T20 World Cup since 2011, following a thrilling seven-run win over South Africa.

Aged 37, Rohit and 35-year-old Kohli occupy the top two spots on the all-time T20 international run-scorers list. Rohit expressed his gratitude, saying, "I've loved every moment of this. I started my India career playing this format. This is what I wanted. I wanted to win the cup and say thank you."

Praising his former captain, Rohit added, "He's been a champion player without a doubt. We all know what he has done for us. At some point, everyone has to say goodbye to the game, and Virat was very clear that this is what he wanted to do."

Both players will continue to represent India in Tests and one-day internationals.

Kohli faced a challenging World Cup, scoring only 75 runs in seven innings before his vital knock in the final elevated India's score to 176-7. South Africa, needing just 30 runs from the final five overs, succumbed to India's excellent death bowling and a spectacular catch by Suryakumar Yadav, which removed David Miller in the 20th over, sealing the match.

Visibly emotional while receiving his player-of-the-match award, Kohli remarked, "This is my last T20 game playing for India, my last World Cup I was going to play. I wanted to make the most of it. And this was our aim. We wanted to lift the cup. I'm really grateful I was able to get the job done for the team when it mattered the most."

Kohli concludes his T20 international career with 4,188 runs from 125 matches, just behind Rohit's 4,231 runs. Rohit's 159 caps are the most for any player, and his five centuries, a record he shares with Australia's Glenn Maxwell, highlight his exceptional career.