In a post-match press conference, Indian captain Rohit Sharma announced that the T20 World Cup final victory against South Africa would be his last match in the format. Expressing his emotions, Rohit stated that he had always wanted to win the World Cup and that this was the perfect time to bid farewell to T20 cricket.
At 37 years old, Rohit has now joined the ranks of Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni as the only Indian captains to have won a World Cup title. Overwhelmed by India’s first ICC tournament victory in 11 years, Rohit mentioned how he was at a loss for words to describe his emotions. Despite a sleepless night filled with anticipation, Rohit managed to stay composed during the final and lead his team to victory.
Rohit’s journey as India’s T20 captain began after a disappointing performance in the previous T20 World Cup. Despite the team’s early exit then, Rohit led his team to the semifinals in the subsequent edition in Australia. The recent World Cup victory marked India’s first ever triumph without losing a single game, breaking an 11-year-long dry spell of ICC trophies.
Following Rohit’s announcement, former India captain Virat Kohli also revealed that this T20 World Cup would be his last in the format for India. Kohli, who was named the player of the match in the final, expressed his gratitude for achieving