At 37, Rohit and 35-year-old Kohli are the top two run-scorers in T20 international history.

“I’ve cherished every moment of this journey,” Rohit remarked. “I began my India career in this format, and winning the cup was the perfect way to say thank you.”

Speaking about Kohli, Rohit said, “He’s undoubtedly been a champion player. Everyone eventually has to say goodbye, and Virat was clear about his decision.”

“It was very emotional; I wanted this so badly,” said Rohit. “This is the greatest moment for me because of how much I wanted it. All the runs and records are secondary; winning games and trophies for India is what matters the most.”

Indian cricket legends Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja have retired from T20 internationals following their World Cup triumph in Barbados.

Kohli earned the man of the match title for his score of 76, while Rohit became the first Indian captain to lift a World Cup since 2011 after a thrilling seven-run victory over South Africa.

Jadeja, also 35, expressed his emotions on Instagram: “Like a proud horse, I’ve always given my best for my country and will continue to do so in other formats. Winning the T20 World Cup was a dream come true.”

All three players will continue to represent India in Tests and ODIs. Despite a challenging World Cup with only 75 runs in seven innings, Kohli’s crucial performance in the final lifted India to 176-7.

South Africa needed 30 runs from the last five overs, but exceptional death bowling and Suryakumar Yadav’s incredible catch in the final over clinched the match for India.

Emotionally accepting his player-of-the-match award, Kohli said, “This was my last T20 game for India, my last World Cup. I’m grateful I could deliver when it mattered most.”

Kohli retires with 4,188 runs from 125 T20 internationals, just behind Rohit’s 4,231 runs. Rohit also holds the record for the most T20I caps (159) and five centuries, a record shared with Australia’s Glenn Maxwell.

Jadeja, a left-arm spinning all-rounder, has played 74 T20Is, taking 54 wickets and scoring 515 runs. Rohit and Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan are the only players to have featured in every T20 World Cup since its inception in 2007, which India won.

India’s last World Cup win in any format was the 50-over version in 2011. They have recently lost two finals: the World Test Championship to Australia and the 50-over final on home soil.