Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma.
Credit: PTI Photo
Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma are one of India's most famous power couples. Whatever they do—be it holidays in foreign lands or attending any high-profile events, they are always in the limelight.
While both of them are overachievers who have flourished in their respective careers, they are always by each other through thick and thin. Anushka was earlier subject to trolls online whenever Kohli failed to perform with the bat, but that never deterred the Bollywood A-lister from publicly showing support to her husband.
After India ended their 17-year-old wait to get hold of their second T20 World Cup trophy, Sharma flaunted her love for the Indian run machine with a message on Instagram that said, "AND ….. I love this man ❤️ @virat.kohli . So grateful to call you my home ❤️ - now go have a glass of sparkling water for me to celebrate this ! 😉😘"
Kohli, one of the greats of the game, walked into T20I sunset after reeling out a classy innings that led India to their second T20 World Cup title, saying that it's time for the next generation to take over.
Kohli's 76 off 59 balls against South Africa was his last innings in a T20I for India, and it did not go in vain. He did not have to think twice to pass the baton to the next-gen players to take the team into the future.
"This was my last T20 World Cup and this is exactly what we wanted to achieve. This is an amazing game. I was telling Rohit (Sharma) when we went out to bat, I was like, one day you feel like you can't get a run and then you come out and then things happen. God is great,” Kohli told host broadcasters after bagging the player of the match award.
"I bow my head in gratitude. I'm just really grateful I was able to get the job done for the team on the day that it mattered the most," he added.
The veteran batter hoped that the next generation players will take India to even loftier peaks.
"It's time for the next generation to take over. It's a two-year cycle (for next T20 WC), there're some amazing players playing in India. They're going to take the team forward in the T20 format and do wonders as we've seen them do in the IPL.
"I have no doubts that they'll keep the flag waving high and really take this team further from here now."
In 125 T20I matches, Kohli scored 4188 runs at an average of 48.69 with 122 being his highest score. That was his only T20 century - coming against Afghanistan in September 2022.
Over the years, Kohli revelled in taming big occasions and on his last day as a T20I player for India he did not waver from that tradition.
"It was now or never kind of a situation I knew. This is my last T20 game for India. It's the last World Cup that I was going to play. So, I wanted to make the most of it and this was our aim. We wanted to win an ICC tournament."
(With PTI inputs)