Virat Kohli recently shared the story behind the iconic photo with Rohit Sharma taken after India’s thrilling seven-run victory over South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2024 final on June 29. In a heartfelt moment, Kohli revealed that he had asked the Indian captain to hold the World Cup trophy for a while, emphasizing the significance of their journey together.
Both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been pillars of Indian cricket, delivering consistent performances across all formats for many years. Back in 2007, when Rohit won the inaugural T20 World Cup, Kohli had not yet made his debut for India.
Fast forward four years, and Rohit found himself out of the squad for the ODI World Cup, a tournament that featured a young Kohli. They both played crucial roles in India’s ICC Champions Trophy triumph in 2013, but a World Cup celebration together eluded them until their recent success in the Caribbean.
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To mark this historic occasion, Kohli and Rohit shared a special moment after India’s win, posing with the T20 World Cup trophy in their hands and the Indian flag draped behind them. Reflecting on the moment, former captain Kohli explained that he wanted Rohit to hold the trophy and savour the victory as he had been stepping back to let the younger players enjoy the spotlight.
Virat Kohli said, “I told Rohit Sharma during the victory lap that ‘Rohit, tu bhi Trophy thodi der pakad le (Rohit, you also hold the trophy)’ because he was behind all the time, afterwards we took that picture, it’s been so long playing with him”. (Star Sports). pic.twitter.com/RlcyRULvOx
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“It was a very special thing for him [Rohit] as well. His family is here, Samaira [Rohit’s daughter] was on his shoulder. But I just felt like in the victory lap he was behind the whole time. I told him, you also hold the trophy for a while, for two minutes. We should take a picture together because this journey has been very long,” Virat Kohli shared in a video posted by Star Sports.
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Following this memorable win, both Rohit and Kohli announced their retirements from T20Is. They leave behind remarkable legacies as the top two run-scorers in T20I cricket. Rohit amassed 4231 runs in 159 games at an average of 32.05 and a strike rate of 140.89. Kohli, on the other hand, accumulated 4188 runs in 125 T20Is, boasting an average of 48.69 and a strike rate of 137.04.
