Virat Kohli scored 76 off 59 balls in the T20 World Cup final against South Africa. It was his last innings in T20Is as he bid adieu to the format after India’s T20 World Cup win in Barbados.
Kohli, who had been batting out of his style in the previous games, reverted to his anchoring form after the fall of the first few wickets. India were 34/3 in the powerplay and that was when Kohli decided to pace his innings according to the situation.
He added a 72-run partnership with Axar Patel (47) to set the stage for the lower order. Shivam Dube then charged in and scored 27 off 16 balls and helped the Indian score go past 175.
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Navjot Singh Sidhu praises Virat Kohli
Navjot Singh Sidhu hails Kohli’s final knock 💯🫡#NavjotSinghSidhu speaks from the heart as he applauds #ViratKohli’s match-winning knock in the all-important final against South Africa as #TeamIndia triumph in a thriller to secure their second #T20WorldCup title. pic.twitter.com/0I8bPXMzdQ
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 2, 2024
Former Indian cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu described Kohli’s knock in his own way with superlatives and adjectives and praised him for his contribution to Indian cricket. He said that Kohli brought out the best in him when India was in trouble and had its back against the wall.
“When it mattered most, when 1.5 crore Indians were praying for victory and hoping we wouldn’t drown at the final hurdle, he stood firm like the Rock of Gibraltar in a sea of ruins. He kept one end intact and delivered the World Cup crown by performing when India’s ship was aground,” Sidhu said on Star Sports.
He also highlighted how Virat Kohli always maintained an ultra-aggressive approach with the bat. Before this game, he scored only 75 runs in seven innings. He gave his best in the match by scoring an invaluable 76 runs for India.
“In this tournament, even when he scored 38 and 24, he did not let his run rate drop. There was a different kind of Virat. Virat Kohli, a man of adversities, a man of masses, a master artist, a genius,” Sidhu said of Kohli’s genius.
He concluded by saying that Virat Kohli is the biggest role model and an inspiration to millions of youngsters.
“For me, he will always be remembered as an icon, as the greatest inspiration and above all, a cup of joy for billions and billions of people who watch cricket around the world,” he said in the same interaction.
Virat Kohli bid farewell to the format with 4188 runs in 125 matches at an average of 48.7 and a strike rate of close to 140. He scored 38 fifties and a hundred in the format and remained unbeaten on 31 occasions. Currently, he is the second-highest run-scorer in the format with Rohit Sharma (4231) leading the race. Babar Azam stands third with 4145 runs in 123 matches so far. Rohit has played 159 matches.
The former Indian captain was extremely relieved after his country’s victory in the T20 World Cup. He announced his retirement from T20Is moments after the victory in his interaction with Harsha Bhogle when he was awarded the Man of the Match award. He also termed this victory as very close to his heart.
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