Cricket-India's Kohli bows out of T20 internationals in style
Cricket - ICC T20 World Cup 2024 - Final - India v South Africa - Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados - June 29, 2024 India's Virat Kohli hits a four REUTERS/Ash Allen
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (Reuters) -India's Virat Kohli quit T20 Internationals on Saturday shortly after helping his team beat South Africa in the World Cup final.
Cricket - ICC T20 World Cup 2024 - Final - India v South Africa - Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados - June 29, 2024 India's Virat Kohli in action REUTERS/Ash Allen
The 35-year-old produced a match-winning knock of 76 in his final international game in this format to set up India's seven-run win in the humdinger at the Kensington Oval.
Cricket - ICC T20 World Cup 2024 - Final - India v South Africa - Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados - June 29, 2024 India's Virat Kohli during the match REUTERS/Ash Allen
"This was my last T20 game playing for India," an emotional Kohli, 35, said after collecting the player-of-the-match award.
"Time for the next generation to take the T20 game forward."
Kohli retires from the format with 4,188 runs from 125 T20 Internationals with a strike rate of 137.
Considered a modern batting great, Kohli has not been in the best of form in the tournament but saved his best for the final.
India were in big trouble at 34-3 when he combined with Axar Patel to help his side post 176-7, the highest total in a T20 World Cup final.
"This is exactly what we wanted to achieve," Kohli said.
"It was an amazing game. One day you feel like you can't get a run but one day, things just click.
"I am so proud to get the runs for the team the day it mattered most. The occasion prompted that change for me, I felt like it was now-or-never.
"We have wanted to lift a trophy for a long time. The occasion made me put my head down, respect the situation and play the innings that the team needed from me."
This was India's first global title since winning the 2013 Champions Trophy.
"It hasn't quite sunk in for me yet. It's an amazing day," Kohli added.
(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; editing by Ed Osmond)