Inside the Story of Jadeja, Kohli, Rohit's T20i Retirement:
Virat Kohli, upon winning the T20 World Cup on 29th June and stepping up to collect the 'Player of the Match' award, made the surprising decision to retire. A few hours later, Rohit Sharma announced his retirement, and today (30th June) Ravindra Jadeja has decided to say goodbye to T20 internationals.
At around 11 PM on 29th June (Indian Standard Time), as King Kohli went to receive the 'Player of the Match' award, he announced his retirement from T20, expressing his desire for younger players to take over the responsibility.
Rohit Sharma followed suit a few hours later, making his announcement post-match at a press conference. By 5 PM on the 30th of June, Jadeja had also made the big decision. In total, within 17 hours, three of India’s cricket heavyweights bid farewell to the T20 format.
Jadeja wrote on X, 'With a heavy heart, I bid goodbye to T20 internationals. Like a mighty steed who has always sprinted with pride, I have always given my best for my country, and I will continue to do so in other formats. Winning the T20 World Cup was a dream come true, the pinnacle of my T20 international career. Thank you for the memories and unwavering support.'
Was Retirement Timed Right?
The question now arises whether these three cricketers have retired at the right moment. With Ravindra Jadeja at 35, Rohit Sharma at 37, and Virat Kohli also at 35, playing all three formats at this stage may prove daunting. However, in terms of fitness, Virat and Jadeja are still ahead of many younger players, and Rohit's fitness is considerable for his age.
From a One Day International cricket perspective, the ICC Champions Trophy is slated for January-February 2023 in Pakistan, while the World Test Championship Final will take place in June 2023 at Lord's. India has reached the WTC Final twice but lost both times, first to New Zealand (2021) and then to Australia (2023). The last ICC Champions Trophy win for India was in 2013 under captain MS Dhoni.
These players will definitely want to lead India to victory in both tournaments to make up for the recent title drought. They clearly stated that winning the T20 World Cup was a dream they have now achieved, which is part of why they retired from the format.
Source: aajtak
