ICC’s recent Instagram post featuring David Warner and Virat Kohli has ignited speculation about Virat Kohli’s retirement following the T20 World Cup. This comes after Afghanistan’s victory over Bangladesh confirmed Warner’s last appearance in Australian colors, propelling Afghanistan into the semi-finals for the first time.
A day after Warner’s retirement news, the ICC shared a photo dump on Instagram with images of Warner and Virat Kohli captioned, “Two champions of the game.”
The post included five candid shots from India’s Super Eight Group 1 match against Australia on Monday, leading fans to wonder if Kohli might also retire from T20Is after this tournament.
The camaraderie between Kohli and Warner dates back to their participation in the 2008 U19 World Cup, and both have been key players in all three formats of the game for their respective countries, as well as rivals in the IPL for over a decade.
Check out the post here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C8qqq2lyafy/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading
Some fans interpreted the ICC’s post as a hint at Kohli’s retirement. Comments included,
“I understood… You’re asking Kohli when he’s gonna retire… Am I right?”
and
“Both will never be seen playing any T20I after T20 WC 2024.”
While Warner has confirmed his retirement from international cricket after this T20 World Cup, Kohli has not indicated any plans to retire. Despite a lean run in this tournament, Kohli aims to perform well in India’s upcoming semi-final rematch against England.
Australia’s journey ended after their loss to India and Afghanistan’s subsequent win over Bangladesh. Warner, having retired from Tests and ODIs earlier, had announced his intention to retire from international cricket post the T20 World Cup. Josh Hazlewood acknowledged Warner’s irreplaceable presence in the team, both on and off the field.
Though Warner may retire from all international formats, he has expressed interest in returning to the ODI team for the Champions Trophy next year if his form continues.
