Bridgetown: India captain Rohit Sharma on Sunday announced his decision to retire from T20I cricket after leading his side to World Cup triumph in Barbados.
The captain shared this news with the media soon after Virat Kohli hung up his boots from the shortest format of the game on Saturday. Rohit, who played a crucial role in India’s triumphant campaign, confirmed that he would continue to represent India in ODIs and Tests.
“This was my last (T20I) game as well,” Rohit revealed during the post-match press conference. “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. 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.”
His announcement came on the heels of India’s second T20 World Cup title, a victory that brought immense joy and pride to the nation.
His retirement marks the end of an illustrious T20I career during which he became the format’s highest scorer, amassing 4231 runs in 159 matches.
He also holds the record for the most centuries in T20 internationals, with five to his name. His T20I journey began with the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, where he was a key player in India’s first title win.
Now, as captain, he has led India to their second title, further cementing his legacy.