End of an era: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli bring curtains down on record-shattering T20I career after World Cup win

New Delhi: India skipper Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli bid farewell to T20 internationals following India’s T20 World Cup 2024 triumph in Barbados on Saturday. As soon as India brilliantly thwarted South Africa’s attempts for a maiden World Cup title, Kohli came up with the emotional announcement, making the final as his last T20I outing. Rohit followed Kohli and announced his departure from the format as well a few hours later.

With the two Indian stalwarts calling it quits for India in the shortest format, there’s no doubt they will be leaving an indelible mark in the history of Indian cricket. While the veterans had to depart one day or the other, both chose the perfect occasion of India lifting the coveted ICC trophy and announcing to the world that they were signing off from T20s for India.

It was an emotional moment for Team India and their fans who long-awaited an ICC trophy, specially for the two senior boys as word was around that it might be their final T20 World Cup appearance. The rumours were put to rest after the veterans set the record straight. India ended the long-standing ICC trophy drought after a gap of 11 years and laid their hands on the T20 trophy for the second time after 17 years.

Nonetheless, both giants are leaving a plethora of records behind in the T20Is as they generously pave the path for the “next generation” in a bid to take India to newer heights in the future. Here’s a look at their star-studded records in T20Is.

Rohit Sharma top T20I records

(1st) Most wins as captain in T20Is – 50
(1st) Most matches played in career – 159
(7th) Most matches as captain – 62
(1st) Most runs in career – 4231
(1st) Most hundreds in a career – 5
(3rd) Most fifties in career – 37
(1st) Most sixes in career – 205
(4th) Fastest to 3500 runs – 126 innings
(4th) Most catches in career – 65

Virat Kohli top T20I records

(2nd) Most runs in career – 4188
(1st) Most Player of the Series awards – 7
(2nd) Most fifties in career – 38
(4th) Highest career batting average – 48.69
(4th) Most fours in career – 369
(1st) Fastest to 3500 runs – 96 innings
(8th) Most catches in career – 54

India eke out seven-run win in final

The seven-run win tells that it was a nervy encounter that went down to the wire as India found their heroes in the duo of Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah, who scripted a brilliant turnaround to put India back in driver’s seat from a situation where it surely was a cakewalk for South Africa. But as they say, “Good things come to those who wait,” and as it turned out to be, India never lost hopes for a win and waited even when it was run-a-ball for the Proteas.

T20 World Cup 2024 Latest Coverage

 Soon as India lifted their second T20 World Cup title, Virat Kohli announced his retirement from T20Is and was followed by his skipper Rohit Sharma, who too decided to hang his boots from the shortest format.  Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today