"When 1.5 billion Indians were hoping that we don't choke at the final"- Navjot Singh Sidhu's mic drop verdict on Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli scored 76 off 59 balls in the T20 World Cup final against South Africa. It was his last T20I innings as he bid farewell to the format after India's T20 World Cup win in Barbados.

Kohli who was batting out of his style in the previous few games went back to his way of anchoring the innings after the fall of early wickets. India was 34/3 inside the powerplay and that was when Kohli decided to pace his innings according to the situation. 

He added a 72-run partnership with Axar Patel (47) to set the platform for the lower order. Shivam Dube then cashed in and scored 27 off 16 balls and played his part in taking the Indian score past 175. 

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Navjot Singh Sidhu Delivers Praises On Virat Kohli

Navjot Singh Sidhu hails Kohli's Final knock 💯🫡#NavjotSinghSidhu speaks his heart out as he applauds #ViratKohli's match-winning knock in the all-important finals against South Africa as #TeamIndia triumphs in a thriller to clinch their 2nd #T20WorldCup title! pic.twitter.com/0I8bPXMzdQ

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 2, 2024

Navjot Singh Sidhu, the former Indian cricketer, in his way, described Kohli's knock with superlatives and adjectives and praised him for his contribution to Indian cricket. He said that Kohli brought out his best with India in trouble and their backs to the wall. 

"When it mattered the most when 1.5 billion Indians were praying for victory and hoping that we don't choke at the final hurdle, he stood like the rock of Gibraltar in the sea of ruins. He kept one end intact and delivered the World Cup crown by performing when India's ship was stuck" said Sidhu on Star Sports.

He further highlighted how Virat Kohli always kept an ultra-aggressive approach with the bat. Heading into this game, he scored just 75 runs in seven innings. He brought his best in the match scoring 76 priceless runs for India.

"In this tournament, even when he scored 38 and 24, he didn't let the run rate drop. There was a different kind of Virat. Virat Kohli, a man of adversity, a man of masses, a master performer, a genius" said Sidhu on the genius of Kohli. 

He concluded by saying that Virat Kohli is the greatest role model and inspiration for millions of youngsters. 

"For me, he will always be remembered as an icon, as the greatest inspiration, and above all, a cup of joy for billions and billions who watch cricket all over," he said in the same interaction.

Virat Kohli big goodbye to the format with 4188 runs in 125 matches at an average of 48.7 and a strike rate touching 140. He scored 38 fifties and a hundred in the format and remained not out on 31 occasions. Currently, he is the second-highest run-getter in the format with Rohit Sharma (4231) leading the race. Babar Azam is placed third with 4145 runs in 123 matches so far. Rohit has played 159 matches. 

The former Indian skipper was a much-relieved man after India's T20 World Cup win. He announced his T20I retirement moments after the win in his interaction with Harsha Bhogle as he was awarded the Man of the Match award. He also rated this win as very close to his heart.

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