Watch: "Struggled to perform..." - Ian Smith's iconic commentary on Virat Kohli's T20I retirement goes viral

Former New Zealand cricketer Ian Smith heaped praise on ace Indian batter Virat Kohli following his retirement from T20 internationals. Ian Smith expressed his surprise at Virat Kohli's retirement from T20 cricket after hearing it from the post-match presentation during the T20 World Cup 2024 final match.

Virat Kohli secured all ICC white-ball trophies with the victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup final match. The right-handed batter secured his first ICC trophy under MS Dhoni's leadership in the 2011 World Cup on home soil. He was part of India's winning campaign during the 2013 Champions Trophy in England.

The 35-year-old batter wasn't in his best form with the bat heading into the 2024 T20 World Cup final. The former Indian skipper scored just 75 runs in his first seven innings at a disappointing average of 10.71 and a strike rate of 100. However, the team management expressed no concern about Kohli's batting form.

The Delhi-born cricketer stood tall when the team needed him most in the T20 World Cup 2024 final match. He played a crucial role after three early wickets during the summit clash against South Africa. He scored 76 runs off 59 deliveries, including six boundaries and two sixes, as India reached 176/7 in 20 overs.

The Indian bowlers successfully restricted the opposition team to 168/8 in 20 overs to take India to their second T20 World Cup title. Kohli was named "Player of the Match" for his outstanding knock in the final match. Kohli announced his retirement from T20 internationals during the post-match presentation.

We Didn't Realize That - Ian Smith

Ian Smith was in the commentary box when the Indian team celebrated the victory with the T20 World Cup trophy. Smith pointed out concerns about Kohli's batting approach in the middle overs. He stated that Kohli knew how to pace his innings and won the Player of the Match award.

"We didn't realize that he was playing his last match for India in T20 cricket. He announced that to Harsha Bhogle straight afterwards. And his innings, at times we thought, was he going quick enough? Was he pacing himself? How many did he feel India needed? He knew it. And he was Player of the Match. Struggled to perform. Just a tear in the eye. The time of the hour, he arrived," Ian Smith said.

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The Wankhede Stadium was filled with over 30,000 fans as the Indian players entered after their victory parade. The entire Indian team, including Kohli and Sharma, danced to ‘Chak De India,’ creating a memorable experience for the fans. The Indian players sang 'Vande Mataram' during a victory lap in Mumbai.

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Virat Kohli ended his T20I career as India's second-highest run-scorer, with 4,188 runs in 125 matches at an average of 48.69. The veteran cricketer played in six T20 World Cups (2012, 2014, 2016, 2021, 2022, and 2024). He holds the record for the most runs in T20 World Cup history, with 1,292 runs in 33 innings.

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