Former India skipper and star batter Virat Kohli announced his retirement from the shortest format after India won the T20 World Cup 2024, outclassing South Africa in a thrilling contest by 7 runs. 

Virat Kohli confirmed the news at the post-match presentation ceremony while speaking to Harsha Bhogle. 

The dynamic India batter, who hasn't been having that great of a tournament, stepped up when India needed him the most. 

Kohli rose to the occasion to finish as the top-scorer for his side in the final, registering a crucial knock of 59-ball 76. 

His knock also saw him win the Player of the Match award as India ended a wait of 13 years to win a World Cup, having last won it in 2011. 

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Virat Kohli announces retirement from T20Is

Confirming the news, Kohli said, "This was my last T20 World Cup, this is exactly what we wanted to achieve," Kohli said in the post-match presentation on Saturday. "One day you feel like you can't get a run and this happens, God is great. Just the occasion, now or never kind of situation. This was my last T20 game playing for India. We wanted to lift that cup.

"Yes I have (announced my retirement from T20Is), this was an open secret. It was not something that I wasn't going to announce even if we had lost. It's time for the next generation to take the T20 game forward. It's been a long wait for us, waiting to win an ICC tournament. You look at someone like Rohit, he's played 9 T20 World Cups and this is my sixth. He deserves it."

Kohli made his T20 debut back in June 2010 and featured in 125 T20Is, scoring 4188 runs, including one century and 38 half-centuries. He finishes as the second-highest run-getter in the shortest format, behind India skipper Rohit Sharma.

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