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T20 World Cup: The best time to say goodbye is while on the podium
Not only India but some members of teams from other participating nations also have decided to discontinue their active participation.
Representative Image. / iStock photo
Winning the T20 World Cup has been a lifetime achievement for the ‘Men in blue’. It is why some of the senior members of the Indian team decided to say goodbye to this latest and shortest form of cricket. Not only India but some members of teams from other participating nations also have decided to discontinue their active participation.
Since the curtains were rung down on the June 29 marquee event at Kensington Oval in Barbados, many retirement announcements have made headlines on social and traditional media. Three senior members of the champion Indian team have been the most prominent among them.
The final was a fitting end to the T20 for captain Rohit Sharma, star batter Virat Kohli, and reliable all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. Their long association with this cricket format could not have concluded any better. Rohit Sharma has been a part of the T20 journey from the beginning when South Africa held the inaugural competition in 2007. Starting and ending your association with a sport as a champion is the best way to do it.
Rohit Sharma was not only the second-highest scorer after Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz (281) with his aggregate of 255, but he also shared the top spot with the Afghan batter in scoring same number of 50s – three. His innings of 92 was the third-highest individual score after Nicholas Pooran (West Indies 98) and Aaron Jones (USA 94).
Virat Kohli cannot be seen in isolation as he has been one of the most consistent performers in all formats. Though he was a little low in the first few Group games, he fired when needed most. His innings of 76 in the final against South Africa was a match-clincher. His approach of mixing caution with aggression helped India to wriggle out of the desperate situation with the score reading 34 for three. He helped India build up a defendable aggregate of 176 for seven wickets.
Ravindra Jadeja, a veteran of many such battles, had a good T20 World Cup. He chipped in with a short and crisp inning with the bat while lending a useful helping hand to fellow bowlers for dislodging threatening partnerships.
Other than these three top Indians who decided to call it a day for T20 cricket, among other cricketers to take retirement from this or all formats of cricket included David Warren of Australia. David has already retired from Tests and ODIs. He has been the second-highest run-getter for his team. David Warren was a member of the 2021 T20 champion Australian team. Incidentally, when Australia won the 2023 World Test Championship, he was a member of the victorious team.
South African-born David Wiese, who represented Namibia in the just concluded T20 World Cup, also decided to say goodbye to the latest and shortest format of cricket. David Wiese moved to Namibia and had to wait till 2021 to become eligible to represent his new country of abode.
Another South Africa-born cricketer, Sybond Engelbrecht, who donned the Netherlands colours in the 2024 T20 World Cup, has also decided to bis adieu to this format of cricket. Sybond had represented the South Africa U-19 team in 2008. He made his debut for the Netherlands in the 2023 World Cup team.
Uganda captain Brian Masabe, too, has decided to quit playing T20 cricket after the conclusion of the 2024 T20 World Cup. He masterminded Uganda’s historic win over Zimbabwe in the World Cup qualifier. It was under his captaincy that Uganda qualified for the 2024 T20 World Cup. Uganda registered a win against Papua New Guinea as well.
Another player who announced to retire from T20I after the 2024 World Cup has been Trent Bout of New Zealand.
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