India and Virat Kohli Clinch the ICC T20 World Cup
India and Virat Kohli finally got their hands on the ICC T20 World Cup by defeating South Africa in a thrilling final at Barbados on Saturday. This victory marks Kohli’s first-ever T20 World Cup title after participating in six editions of the tournament. Despite an underwhelming performance throughout the tournament, Kohli rose to the occasion in the final.
Kohli’s Heroics in the Final
Batting first, India faced early trouble, losing three significant wickets inside the powerplay. Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, and Suryakumar Yadav were all back in the dugout, leaving India in a precarious position. Kohli, along with Axar Patel, held the innings together, with Kohli registering his first half-century of the tournament. His fighting 76-run knock helped India set a target of 177 runs for South Africa. The Indian bowlers then did a fantastic job, securing the title for India.
Man of the Match and Retirement Announcement
Kohli’s brilliant performance earned him the Man of the Match award. During the award ceremony, he announced his retirement from T20Is, raising questions about his future in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Will Virat Kohli Play in IPL 2025?
Despite retiring from T20Is, it is certain that the 38-year-old veteran batter will feature in the IPL 2025 season. Kohli, who recently won his first T20 World Cup, is now likely aiming for his first IPL title with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Since the inception of the league in 2008, Kohli has been a part of the RCB franchise but has yet to clinch the title. He must be eager to win the trophy at least once before retiring from T20s altogether.
Kohli’s T20I Career Achievements
Virat Kohli boasts extraordinary statistics in T20I cricket. He has scored over 4000 runs, making him second only to Rohit Sharma for the most runs in T20Is. Kohli averages close to 50 and maintains a strike rate of over 135, highlighting his consistent performance throughout his T20I career.(live score cricket ipl)