Indian cricket stalwarts Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja have announced their retirement from T20 international cricket following India’s victorious campaign in the T20 World Cup in Barbados. Kohli, who was instrumental with a match-winning 76 in the final, and Rohit, who captained India to their first T20 World Cup win since 2007, decided to bid farewell to T20 internationals at ages 35 and 37 respectively, after stellar careers.
“I’ve loved every moment of this,” said Rohit. “I started my India career playing this format. This is what I wanted. I wanted to win the cup and say thank you.”

Reflecting on Kohli’s contributions, 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.”
Jadeja, known for his all-round prowess, expressed his gratitude on Instagram, saying, “Winning the T20 World Cup was a dream come true, a pinnacle of my T20 international career. Thank you for the memories, the cheers, and the unwavering support.”
While retiring from T20Is, all three players affirmed their availability for Test matches and one-day internationals.
Kohli, despite a challenging World Cup with only 75 runs in seven innings before his crucial final knock, ends his T20I career with 4,188 runs from 125 matches. Rohit, with 4,231 runs and a record 159 appearances, is celebrated for his five centuries, a feat matched only by Australia’s Glenn Maxwell.

Jadeja, renowned for his left-arm spin and batting prowess, contributed significantly across 74 T20I matches, taking 54 wickets and scoring 515 runs.

The T20 World Cup final against South Africa saw India defending a total of 176-7 with exemplary death bowling and outstanding fielding, including Suryakumar Yadav’s pivotal catch in the final over.
Expressing his emotions post-match, Kohli said, “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.”
India’s victory in Barbados marks their first World Cup triumph in any format since the 2011 50-over World Cup. Rohit, reflecting on the win, shared, “It was very emotional, I wanted this badly. I was very desperate for this in my life so I’m happy we crossed the line this time.”
With their retirements, Kohli, Rohit, and Jadeja leave a lasting legacy in Indian cricket, celebrated not only for their individual records but also for their contributions to team victories and their leadership on and off the field. Their retirement marks the end of an era in Indian T20 international cricket, leaving behind a rich tapestry of achievements and memories cherished by fans worldwide.