Why didn’t Virat Kohli attend the T20 World Cup final?
India went on to emerge champions defeating New Zealand in Ahmedabad on Sunday
Dubai: The final between India and New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday saw several former cricketers and celebrities in attendance. However, one notable absence from the VIP boxes surprised many fans — Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli.
Both Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Rohit Sharma were present at the final in an official capacity as title-winning captains. Dhoni led India to victory in the inaugural 2007 T20 World Cup, while Rohit repeated the feat in the 2024 T20 World Cup when India defeated South Africa in the final in Bridgetown, Barbados. The two legends were also given the honour of carrying the trophy onto the field.
Kohli’s absence, however, left many fans puzzled. Unlike Dhoni and Rohit, Kohli never won the T20 World Cup as captain, meaning he did not have an official role in the ceremony.
Another possible reason for his absence could be that Kohli currently spends much of his time in London with his wife and Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma and kids. Since the birth of his children, the star batter has largely focused on family life and rarely makes public appearances.
Recently, Kohli also skipped the weddings of his former teammate Shikhar Dhawan and Arjun Tendulkar, the son of legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar.
Although Kohli has not fully retired from international cricket, he now spends more time with his family after stepping away from T20 internationals and Test cricket.
In an earlier interview, the veteran batter hinted that he plans to keep a low profile after retirement. “Once I am done, I will be gone — you won’t see me for a while,” Kohli had said with a smile. “So I want to give everything I have until the time I play, and that’s the only thing that keeps me going.”
According to other reports, Kohli chose to watch the final from home with friends and family, celebrating the team’s success in a way he rarely could during his busy playing career.
After India’s historic win, Kohli took to social media to congratulate the Men in Blue. “Brilliant character shown by the boys to keep fighting in tough situations and become world champions once again,” the 37-year-old wrote.
Stay updated: Get the latest faster by downloading the Gulf News app - it's completely free. Click here for Apple or here for Android. You can also find it us on the Huawei AppGallery.
