Virat Kohli ended his T20I career on a high on Saturday, as Team India lifted the T20 World Cup after defeating South Africa in a dramatic final in Barbados. The Indian batter, after a quiet outing throughout the tournament, rose to the occasion in the all-important title clash, scoring a crucial 76 after India lost their top-order inside the Powerplay after opting to bat first.

Kohli, opening the innings alongside captain Rohit Sharma, struggled to get runs on the board throughout the 2024 edition, as he adopted an aggressive approach. However, with wickets tumbling rapidly in the final, the situation demanded a steady hand to anchor the innings and stabilise the team. Kohli, experienced in such high-pressure scenarios, understood this necessity all too well.

He forged a strong stand with Axar Patel (47) to help revive the Indian innings, taking India to a strong score of 176/7 in 20 overs. Kohli was named the Player of the Match after India's win, and in a chat with broadcasters Star Sports, he stressed the need to rediscover his game to adjust to the aggressive philosophy of the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team.

Andy Flower, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru coach, who worked with Kohli recently in the Indian Premier League, acknowledged the India batter's illness to transform his batting approach. Flower admired Kohli's “hunger” and his desire to push himself, knowing full well that it was his last tournament in the format.

“What a lovely way to go out of T20Is. He had a brilliant IPL, didn't he? He showed what he could do. I must say... I've said it before, but I'll repeat it because it's important. Watching a guy in his mid-30s who has done so much in the world game and in the IPL push himself to develop his game even further, at this stage of his career was really impressive,” Flower told ESPNCricinfo.

“It showed the depth of his hunger and desire to do better, to push himself for his good and the good of his team. I loved watching that. I can't disagree with Sanjay (Manjrekar) that Tests and ODIs are his absolute sweet spots. But he has been a brilliant T20 cricketer, what an amazing man to watch play. Hopefully, we are going to see him do outstanding things in whatever T20 cricket he has got left.”

Kohli ends as 2nd highest run-scorer in T20Is

Virat Kohli had been the backbone of India's batting lineup for a large part of his T20I career; he ended with 4188 runs in 125 matches at a brilliant average of 48.69. Rohit Sharma also called time on his T20I career and retired as the highest run-getter in the format, with 4231 runs in 159 games.

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