BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla has expressed his support for the decision of the experienced players to step back from T20 international matches after India’s victory in the T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies. India secured the T20 World Cup title by defeating South Africa in the final match by seven runs on Saturday, June 29 at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.
After India’s victory, experienced players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli said they would stop playing the shortest version of the game. The next day, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja also decided to end his T20 international career. Rajeev Shukla commented on the players’ retirement choices, stating that it’s entirely the players’ decision and the BCCI doesn’t have any influence over it.
“I believe the whole nation is pleased and everyone is joyful. Regarding retirement, the BCCI has a clear policy that any player who wishes to retire can do so at their discretion. In this instance, Ravindra Jadeja is also choosing to retire from T20 cricket, which is entirely his choice. Just like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, it’s completely up to them,” Rajiv Shukla said to India Today.
Moving forward, Shukla praised the players for making it easier for younger talents in India, which has many promising athletes.
“Certainly, they must believe that this opens the door for younger players to have a chance in T20I. We have many young players ready to show their skills in T20. So, I think this should be supported. The experienced players choosing to step back from T20 cricket is a wise choice, and we all support it. They will still play in ODI and Test cricket. They haven’t retired from the sport,” he continued.
Rohit Sharma and Shakib al Hasan are the only players who have played in every edition of the T20 World Cup. The Indian captain, Rohit Sharma, ends his career as the top run scorer in T20 international matches with 4231 runs, while Virat Kohli is second with 4188 runs. Meanwhile, Ravindra Jadeja played in six T20 World Cups for India and retired as a world champion.
