Rohit Sharma announces T20I retirement after leading India to World Cup glory

Indian captain Rohit Sharma has announced his retirement from T20 internationals after leading India to a stunning victory over South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2024 final in Barbados on Saturday. 

Rohit revealed his decision during the post-match press conference, following in the footsteps of teammate Virat Kohli, who had announced his own retirement during the presentation ceremony.

"This was my last [T20I] game as well. 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," Rohit said.

Rohit leaves the T20I format as its highest run-scorer, with 4,231 runs in 159 matches. He also holds the record for the most centuries in T20 internationals, with five to his name. His illustrious career in T20Is includes two World Cup titles: the first as a player in 2007 and now as captain in 2024.

Rohit and Kohli’s retirement from T20Is did not come as a surprise to many. Both players had not featured in T20Is after India’s semi-final loss in the 2022 T20 World Cup and only returned to the format in January this year with their eyes set on the 2024 T20 World Cup.

As captain, Rohit Sharma played 62 matches, scoring 1,905 runs at a strike rate of 149.76 and an average of 34.01. Under his leadership, India won 49 out of these 62 matches, demonstrating his effectiveness as both a leader and a player.