As he has on so many occasions, Virat Kohli has led from the front as India broke a decade-long trophy drought with a seven-run win over South Africa in the T20 World Cup final.
Kohli saved his best for last – having made only 75 runs for the whole tournament, he scored a sensational 76 to top score and anchor the Indian innings.
It was enough to earn him player of the match honours, and he then announced he’d played his final T20I.
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“This was my last T20 World Cup, and this is what we wanted to achieve,” he said.
“One day you feel you can’t get a run, then things happen. God is great, and I got the job done for the team on the day it mattered.
“Now or never (that was my) last T20 for India. I wanted to make the most of it. Wanted to lift the cup, wanted to respect the situation rather than force it.”
Kohli said his retirement had been an “open secret” among the team for a some time.
“It’s time for the next generation to take over, some amazing players will take the team forward and keep the flag waving high.”
Rohit Sharma then followed Kohli and announced his own retirement from T20Is.
“This was my last game as well,” Sharma said.
“I’ve enjoyed since the time I started playing this format. Better a time to say goodbye to this format. I’ve loved every moment of this.
“This is what I wanted – I wanted to win the cup.”
South Africa, in its first ever final of an ICC tournament, needed a run-a-ball 30 to win on the back of Heinrich Klaasen’s belligerent 52 off 27 balls.
But Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya, who shared seven wickets between them, roared back in the death overs to cut down South Africa at 169-8.
Sharma won the toss and elected to bat, and Kohli’s first half-century of the tournament anchored India as they made 7-176.
“Guys understand when the pressure is on what needs to be done,” Sharma said.
“Today was a perfect example, (we) stuck together with backs to the wall. We wanted this really bad … very proud of the bunch of boys and the management.”
It was India’s second T20 World Cup, but its first world title in 13 years. The frustration had been building.
Over the last 12 months, India lost the World Test Championship final and, most gruelling, the 50-over World Cup final at home, both against Australia.
But South Africa’s heartbreak is on another level. It reached the climax unbeaten — India too — and looked to finally end its World Cup hoodoo.
South Africa sprinted to 4-147 in 15 overs after Klaasen smacked three sixes and a four in one Axar Patel’s over that cost India 24 runs.
But pace ace Bumrah conceded only six off his next two overs and, in between, Pandya had the dangerous Klaasen caught behind.
David Miller couldn’t get the strike much despite scoring 21 and left-arm fast bowler Singh conceded just four in the penultimate over. That gave Pandya a cushion of 16 runs to defend off the last over.
Off Pandya’s first ball, Miller was out when Suryakumar Yadav took a brilliant juggling catch on the long-off boundary. Kagiso Rabada was out off the second-last ball, which all but sealed the win.
“Gutted,” South Africa captain Aiden Markram said.
“Hurts quite a bit, but incredibly proud. We never got comfortable, things happen quickly at the back end, but got into a great position to prove we were worthy finalists.”
Earlier, Kohli, who tallied only 75 runs in seven games, made 76 off 59 balls with six fours and two sixes and rescued his team from early trouble. India had been reduced to 3-34 inside the first five overs.
Promoted up the order to No.5, Patel absorbed the pressure well to score a brisk 47 off 31 balls. His 72-run stand with Kohli put India back on track.
Kohli brought up his half-century off 48 balls in the 17th over, then accelerated by smashing big sixes against Kagiso Rabada (1-36) and Marco Jansen (1-49). Kohli holed out in the deep in the penultimate over.
Shivam Dube made 27 off 16 balls and fell in Anrich Nortje’s (2-26) last over as India scored 58 runs in the last five overs.
Kohli got India off to a flier when he hit left-arm fast bowler Jansen for three boundaries in the first over, and captain Sharma struck left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj (2-23) for two fours off his first two balls.
But Maharaj struck twice in his first over when Sharma was brilliantly snapped up by Klaasen low at square leg, and Rishabh Pant hit off the toe-end of the bat while attempting a reverse sweep and ballooned a simple catch behind.
Klaasen shone again in the outfield when he caught Yadav at deep fine leg off Rabada’s short-pitched ball before Patel and Kohli rebuilt the innings.
Patel was run out off a brilliant direct throw from wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock as he smartly intercepted Kohli’s flick and then hit the stumps at the non-striker’s end.