India ended a 17-year drought at the T20 World Cup championship on Saturday after lifting the title for the second time in a thrilling seven-run victory against South Africa at the sprawling Kensington Oval cricketing ground in Barbados. As fans celebrated India’s victory after the adrenalin-fueled final match, three of the team’s top players, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja, announced retirement from the game’s T20 international version.

“This was my last T20 World Cup, and this is what we wanted to achieve. One day, you feel you can’t get a run, and things happen; God is great. (It is) just the occasion, now or never kind of situation. We wanted to lift that cup,” Kohli said in his post-match presentation.

After Kohli’s announcement, Captain Rohit Sharma also announced his plans to retire, saying, “This was my last (T20) game as well. No better time to say goodbye. I wanted this (trophy) badly. It’s hard to put in words.” Sharma was part of India’s T20 team in 2007; in 2024, he was the team captain, so the win was special for him, which he will cherish for the rest of his life.

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja also announced his retirement a day after winning the trophy. However, they will continue to play for India in the other two formats: ODI and Test. Knowing that it was their last T20 tournament for India, they have put their best foot forward and have been accordingly rewarded. So, there couldn’t have been a better time to do so.

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Here are three retirement lessons to learn from their decisions:

Don’t Stop Until You Retire:

Retirement is not the end; it’s simply a stepping stone to another life phase. So, plan for retirement but stay active with work until your last breath. For Kohli, it was not a hasty decision. He said he would have still announced his retirement even if India had lost the match. But till the last moment, he gave his best in the game. He hit 76 off 59 balls in the crucial moments of the match. So, don’t stop chasing goals and give your best efforts to achieve them.

Phased Retirement:

Sports persons typically retire in their 30s, depending on their fitness levels. Just like Kohli, Sharma, and Jadeja, who announced retirement from one format but to continue with the other formats, one may choose phased retirement. It is a logical step to stay in the game (the work) but at a relaxed and comfortable pace that suits the individual. As in sports, people can also go for phased retirement in other domains. It could be a new assignment that is less challenging or reduced working hours. For instance, they may consider pursuing a part-time job or a job with flexible timings instead of a full-time job.

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Keep Learning And Discovering Yourself:

The third important lesson is the attitude of continuous learning. After retirement, many players start their ventures or take up work that may be different but related to the game, like commentator, coach, etc. These works demand different skills. Playing is different from coaching, and coaching is different from setting up a business. So, keep learning and discovering yourself; it will give you satisfaction, besides the opportunity to earn money. So, stay engaged in something you like doing.