Indian cricket icon and Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s stalwart Virat Kohli has broken his silence on stepping away from T20 internationals, following India’s electrifying T20 World Cup win in 2024. Kohli hung up his T20I boots right after India, captained by Rohit Sharma, edged out South Africa by seven runs in a nail-biting final in Barbados.

The legendary batter played a pivotal role under pressure, notching a match-winning 76 off 59 deliveries in the summit clash — a performance that earned him the Player of the Match title.

During the post-match ceremony, Kohli made the emotional announcement, closely followed by retirement confirmations from Rohit Sharma and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.

Speaking on the RCB Podcast, Kohli shed light on his choice. “My mindset remains unchanged. This call was made to give the next generation adequate space and opportunity. They need a full cycle — around two years — to build experience, absorb pressure, and adjust across conditions globally,” he elaborated.

Kohli’s T20I journey concludes with 125 games, where he piled up 4,188 runs at an extraordinary average of 48.69. He also bagged the Player of the Tournament honors in the 2014 and 2016 T20 World Cups.

Despite stepping back from the international shortest format, Kohli continues to dazzle in IPL 2025. With 443 runs in 10 games at a stellar average of 63.29, he remains the top scorer for RCB, who are currently second on the leaderboard and gearing up for a blockbuster clash against CSK.