India's Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retire from T20 international cricket after World Cup win over South Africa

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have decided to step down from playing T20 cricket for India after their victory against South Africa in the World Cup final held in Barbados.

Kohli ended a streak of poor performances in the tournament, where he had only scored 75 runs in seven innings with an average of less than 11. He turned it around by smashing 76 runs from 59 deliveries in his team's total score of 176-7.

Following India's successful defense in limiting South Africa to 169-8, securing their second T20 World Cup victory since 2007, the 35-year-old player announced during his Player of the Match interview that he will be retiring from T20 international matches.

After the game, Captain Rohit, 37 years old, announced in the press conference that he was retiring from playing in this format. He scored a total of 4,231 runs in 159 matches, including five centuries and 32 half-centuries.

Kohli steps down from T20 International cricket after scoring 4,188 runs in 125 matches with an average of 48.69. He has also scored 38 half-centuries and one century.

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'Time For The New Generation To Step Up For India'

He expressed that this would be his final T20 World Cup.

Now is the moment for the younger generation to step up for India. We have talented players emerging, and it is their turn to lead the team forward.

"There are days when you feel like you can't catch a break, but then there are days when everything falls into place. I was thrilled to be able to score runs for the team when it really counted."

The event motivated me to make a change. I felt like the time to act was right then or never.

We have been desiring to win a trophy for a while now, and the event compelled me to focus, acknowledge the importance of the situation, and deliver the performance that the team required from me.

Before today, I was not feeling like my usual self. My confidence was low. That's why I am very thankful and modest right now. It hasn't been easy, so there are many emotions running through me.

I still can't believe it. Today is absolutely incredible, and I feel very grateful.

Rohit expressed that he has decided to retire from the game after his last match. He believes it is the right time to bid farewell to this particular format of the game. Rohit shared that he has cherished every moment of his journey in this sport.

I began my India journey in T20 cricket and it was my goal from the start. I aimed to win the championship and then retire on a high note.

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