Is there such a thing as the perfect goodbye? Innumerable athletes have tried to time their farewells right over the years, but to no avail. Emotions, expectations and outcomes rarely go hand-in-hand in life; less so in sport. Nevertheless, the pursuit continues. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are the latest entrants in the club, as far as their T20 international careers are concerned. (IND Vs SA Final Highlights | Full T20 WC Coverage)
Some would say that helping India win their first ICC title in 11 years was a moment worthy enough for the two stalwarts to hang up their boots in the shortest format. But then, what if the moment had not materialized?
The relationship between elite sportspersons' bodies and performances is transient. Age and injuries keep chipping away, leaving star players prone to ungainly exits.
And hence, the clamour for change is insistent, heightened by the shrillness of social media discourse. Months before ICC T20 World Cup 2024 began, questions arose on Virat's place and Rohit's role in the Indian team. And even until the grand finale against South Africa, some of the questions persisted.
Which is where the retirement decisions can be framed in context. "This was an open secret. It was not something that I was not going to announce even if we had lost. This was going to be my last T20 World Cup for India," Kohli said minutes after India emerged triumphant in Barbados.
The 35-year-old was not among the runs in the lead-up to the final. Two ducks and five single-digit scores in eight innings had overridden the highs of Indian Premier League 2024 (where Kohli earned the Orange Cap with 741 runs from 15 matches), and another failure seemed on the cards.
The call to retire anyway would hence appear risk-laden for the veteran. But then the individual cannot be bigger than the team, and a proud cricketer like Kohli would hate to overstay his welcome.
"It's hard to explain…the emotions I felt after the game. I knew what kind of mindset I was in. I wasn't very confident in the last few games. I wasn't feeling really good out there."
But destiny had something special in store for the former India skipper. Outgoing coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit had both foreseen a big knock from Kohli in the final, and he produced just that, when the team needed it the most.
With three key wickets down in the powerplay, India needed Kohli to revert to his trusted method of dropping anchor and pacing the innings, before cutting loose in the back end. He did that beautifully, his 76 runs forming the backbone of India's winning 176-run total.
Kohli's opening partner Rohit could not fire with the bat in the crunch match, but the 37-year-old's leadership was lauded by all and sundry. The consistently astute Rohit marshalled his troops efficiently, and his bowling changes repeatedly bore fruit.
Amidst all the victories, however, it was the jovial everyman-ness of the India captain that stood out. Here was a man who had endured a sudden captaincy switch to Hardik Pandya for Mumbai Indians in the IPL. And there he was was at the end of the final, affectionately kissing Pandya's cheek in full public view.
This was Rohit's ninth T20 World Cup, and a journey that began with a historic title in 2007 has ended with a second one, albeit with him at the helm.
Unlike Kohli, who announced his T20I retirement at the post-match presentation, Rohit chose the subsequent press conference to slip in the news. "This was my last game as well. No better time to say goodbye. I wanted this (trophy) badly. It's very hard to put in words.
"This is what I wanted and it happened. I was very desperate for this in my life. Happy that we crossed the line this time," Rohit said. He leaves behind a rich legacy, known as a destructive top-order batter who could belt sixes almost at will whenever he got going.
Kohli, on the other hand, bows out as the quintessential chase-master - a quality that India supporters will hope to continue to savour in the 50-over format.
The likes of Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh and Yashasvi Jaiswal, all of whom did not get a game this time around, are next in line as the baton passes on.
As Kohli put it: "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."
