As Virat Kohli announced his retirement from T20I cricket alongside Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja, he had special praise for Jasprit Bumrah, who repeatedly rescued the Indian team during the T20 World Cup 2024. Kohli mentioned that Bumrah deserves to be recognised as a “national treasure” for his match-saving performances, which earned him the Player of the Tournament title. The crowd at Kensington Oval applauded Bumrah as Kohli urged them on.
“At one point, I thought the match was slipping away from us. But what Jasprit Bumrah did in those crucial five overs, especially his two, was truly special. He brought us back into the game time and again throughout this tournament,” Kohli said.
Kohli added, “We want him to continue playing for India as long as he can. I’ll sign the petition for Jasprit Bumrah to be the eighth wonder of the world right now. He is a once-in-a-generation bowler.”
Bumrah, with his toddler son present at the Oval, laughed off suggestions of a petition from a billion fans urging him not to quit cricket.
The farewell match was filled with memorable moments for the fans. One standout was when Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli walked hand-in-hand to the stands, thanking the crowd as they retired from T20I cricket.
Another cherished moment was Hardik Pandya receiving loud cheers at Kensington Oval, the same ground where he had previously faced boos as the captain of Mumbai Indians. The evening concluded with the team dancing together on a lap of honour around the stadium, reminiscent of the 2011 World Cup celebrations when a young Kohli carried Sachin Tendulkar on his shoulders.
Although there were no grand farewell scenes for the retiring veterans, the gathered fans acknowledged the immense contributions Kohli and Sharma made to Indian cricket.
