Virat Kohli after hitting his 53rd ODI century. Image Credit X/@BCCI
The T20 World Cup 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium served as a bandage to the wounds of many Indian fans. It was at the same venue where the Indian team had lost the final against Australia in the ODI World Cup in 2023. While fans got to see the former skippers, Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, who was named the player of the tournament in 2023, was surely missed.
The right-handed batter, in spite of remaining an active player in ODIs for India, has been permanently living in London, England. His appearances in India have reduced by a drastic margin since he retired from T20Is and Test cricket. While multiple notable personalities attended the final or the semi-final between India and England, Kohli was nowhere to be seen.
Fans flooded social media platforms asking why Virat Kohli did not attend the final between India and New Zealand. Even though MS Dhoni has retired from international cricket, he was present at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Rohit, like Kohli, is still an active member of the ODI setup, having retired from T20Is and Tests.
Rohit, along with being a T20 World Cup-winning captain, was present at the Narendra Modi Stadium in an official capacity. The opening batter was named the official brand ambassador by the ICC for the T20 World Cup 2026. Dhoni, on the other hand, was present at the stadium as the former World Cup-winning captain for India. Unlike Rohit and Dhoni, Virat Kohli never won an ICC title with the Indian team.
Living in London, England, with his family has also emerged as a possible reason for Kohli missing out on attending the T20 World Cup 2026 Final. Since the birth of his kids, the right-handed batter has been a family man and rarely makes a public appearance. Recently, Kohli did not attend the wedding of his teammate, Shikhar Dhawan, as well.
Following India’s historic win at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Kohli took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a congratulatory post for the Men in Blue. Kohli was named the player of the match in the final of the previous edition when India won their second T20 World Cup in 2024. While congratulating the team, the 37-year-old talked about the character shown by the team. “Brilliant character shown by the boys to keep fighting in tough situations and become world champions once again,” Kohli said.
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