"I was crying, he was crying, and we hugged" - Virat Kohli on winning the 2024 T20 World Cup with Rohit Sharma
Team India star Virat Kohli spoke about the emotions of winning the 2024 T20 World Cup with long-time teammate and skipper Rohit Sharma during the felicitation ceremony at the Wankhede Stadium on July 4. The duo have battled several trials and tribulations as India suffered heartbreaking defeats in the knockout stages since their last ICC title in 2013.
However, things finally fell in place when they enjoyed an unbeaten run through the recently concluded T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA. The side enjoyed a celebratory day upon arrival home on July 4, culminating with an open-top bus parade followed by the felicitation ceremony in Mumbai.
During the ceremony at the Wankhede Stadium, Kohli summed up his and Rohit's emotions on winning the T20 World Cup by saying:
"This is the first time in 15 years of playing together that I've seen Rohit show so much emotions on the field. When I was walking up the steps, I was crying, he was crying, and we hugged. For me, that's going to be a very special memory from that day, because all said and done, after so many years, our only goal has been this. The only goal has been Indian cricket and the Indian flag. And that's what we take pride in."
Kohli overcame a poor run through the tournament with a match-winning 76 against South Africa in the finale.
The duo of Kohli and Rohit finish their T20I careers as the two leading run-scorers in T20 World Cup history with 1,292 and 1,220 runs, respectively.
"Hope that we have carried that burden to an extent" - Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli also felt the T20 World Cup victory was the ultimate fulfillment for himself and Rohit Sharma as they have attempted to carry the burden for over 15 years.
While Rohit was part of the Indian side that triumphed in the 2007 World T20, Kohli played his role in India winning the 50-over World Cup in 2011.
"We both have been trying this for so long. Trying our hardest when I was captain and he was a senior player in the team. And now when he is captain and I am a senior player of the team. The only aim was to win India a World Cup. So I hope that we have carried that burden to an extent and given the result the country wanted us to provide to them," said Kohli in the same interview.
The duo announced their T20I retirements on the day of winning the World Cup, finishing as the top two run-scorers in the format in international cricket.
Meanwhile, it was India's fourth World Cup title after the triumphs in 1983, 2007 and 2011.