Virat Kohli shares anecdote behind iconic photo with Rohit Sharma after T20WC win: ‘Samaira was on his shoulders, but…'

The two giants of Indian cricket - Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma - bid adieu to T20Is, but they did it on the best possible note with T20 World Cup triumph. The iconic duo waited for a very long time to lift their first World Cup trophy together as Kohli was not a part of India's team during the 2007 T20 WC win, with Rohit being part of it and vice versa when MS Dhoni's men clinched the 2011 ODI WC trophy. However, the wait ended last Saturday with India edging past South Africa in the 2024 T20 World Cup summit clash. India's captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli pose for a picture with the trophy after Team India wins the ICC Mens T20 World Cup 2024.(ICC - X )

The duo shared a special moment after India's historic win as they posted with the T20 World Cup trophy in their hands and the Indian flag on their back.

Batting maestro Kohli opened up on the iconic photo of the two Indian giants and revealed that he had told skipper Rohit to hold the trophy for a while.

"It was a very special thing for him [Rohit] as well. His family is here, Samaira [Rohit's daughter] was on his shoulder. But I just felt like in the victory lap he was behind the whole time. I told him, you also hold the trophy for a while, for two minutes. We should take a picture together because this journey has been very long," Kohli revealed in a video shared by Star Sports.

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The 35-year-old further opened up on their journeys with the Indian team over the years, where the roles were reversed between them, but their main focus always remained the same - the growth of Indian cricket.

"Me and him playing together for so many years and just trying out level best to make sure that this happens for India. Captain leader, leader captain, we have just worked for only one thing - that's Indian cricket. That picture was a dedication to Indian cricket," the 35-year-old added.

Kohli announced his retirement from T20Is during his speech after winning the Player of the Match award in the finale as he scored 76 runs off 59 balls. The gritty knock helped India post a challenging total - 176/7 on the scoreboard, which the Indian pacers defended in a roller-coaster ride. Meanwhile, Rohit revealed his decision in the post-match press conference to bid adieu to the T20Is. The duo finished their T20I careers as the leading run-getters of the shortest format - Rohit at the top with 4231 runs and Kohli with 4188 runs.

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