Surely, there could not have been a better way to sign off from T20I cricket. As Indians across the world soaked in the celebrations from the team's T20 World Cup 2024 title win, dropped a bombshell while collecting the Man of the Match award for his 76-run knock in the final, announcing that this was his last match for India in T20Is. While many would have seen that call coming, Kohli non-challantly made the announcement while speaking to the broadcaster and said, "This was an open secret (retirement from T20Is).
It was not something that I wasn't going to announce, even if we had lost. It's time for the next generation to take the T20 game forward." And just like that, one of the greatest-ever careers in T20I cricket came to an end.
As he has done all throughout his career, Kohli signed off on a high with a crucial knock, which helped India set a fighting total on the board. However, it was not an entirely unexpected decision, given the fact that he played few games in T20Is between the 2022 and the 2024 T20 World Cups While many believe Kohli's actual prowess lies in the ODI format and also Test cricket, T20I, especially crunch games, has always gotten the best out of him. He bows out, having led India to a second and ending a much-awaited ICC title drought.
The memory of him smashing that iconic straight six off Haris Rauf in the India vs Pakistan match in the T20 World Cup 2024 is still fresh. So is the sight of him dropping down to his knees and soaking in all the appla.
