Rohit Sharma Joins Virat Kohli in Retiring from T20 Internationals: ‘No Better Time to…’

Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma has announced his retirement from T20 internationals after leading the team to their second T20 World Cup victory. Following the final match against South Africa, Rohit, who has played 159 T20 internationals, confirmed his decision to retire.

In a press conference after the win, Rohit said, “This was my last (T20) 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.”

Rohit expressed his emotions, stating, “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.”

Rohit Sharma’s T20I career has been remarkable. He is the highest run-scorer in T20 internationals, with 4,231 runs in 159 matches, averaging 32 with a strike rate of around 141. During the 2024 T20 World Cup, he was the second-highest run-scorer with 257 runs, a strike rate of 156.70, and an average of 36.71.

Rohit’s retirement follows that of his teammate Virat Kohli, who also announced his retirement from T20 internationals during the Player of the Match presentation. Kohli said it was an “open secret” and that he would have retired regardless of the World Cup outcome. Kohli emphasized the need for the next generation to take over, expressing confidence in India’s future T20 players.