Rohit Sharma, the Indian captain, joined Virat Kohli in announcing his retirement from T20I format after India won the T20 World Cup 2024. India became two-time World Champions after defeating South Africa in the final in Barbados.
Rohit Sharma’s announcement brings down the curtain on an illustrious T20I career during which he became the format’s highest scorer, amassing 4231 runs in 159 matches.
Rohit also has the most hundreds in Twenty20 internationals, with five. His T20I career began with the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, where he played a significant role in India’s first title victory. Now, as captain, he has guided India to their second triumph, solidifying his legacy.
This success was especially meaningful for Rohit, who had seen both highs and lows in his cricket career. The victory reflected his leadership, resilience, and relentless commitment.
“I wanted this badly. Very hard to put in words. It was a very emotional moment for me. I was very desperate for this title in my life. Happy that we eventually crossed the line,” he said in the post-match presser.
Rohit Sharma confirms he’ll continue playing ODIs and T20Is
Rohit Sharma won two T20 World Cup titles: the first as a player in 2007 and now as captain in 2024.
Rohit and Kohli’s withdrawal from the T20I format was not altogether surprising. Both players had not played any T20Is since India’s semi-final defeat in the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final, and they just resumed playing T20Is in January of this year, with an eye on the 2024 World Cup.
“This was my last [T20I] game as well. No better time to say goodbye to this format. 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,” he added.
Rohit finished the tournament as the second-highest run-scorer (257 at 156.70) despite challenging batting conditions in the United States and the West Indies. His highlight knock was his assault on England bowlers in the semi-final, where he made a searing 41-ball 92 runs.