In a nerve-wrecking final of the T20I World Cup, India delivered a commanding performance to defeat South Africa and reclaim the T20I World Cup title. The highlight of India's innings was a stellar knock by Virat Kohli, who played a pivotal role in guiding India to a challenging total of 176. Kohli's 76-run contribution was a masterclass knock that ensured India had a good total to defend. Later, defending the total, Indian bowlers then capitalized on the momentum, executing their plans with accuracy to topple South Africa’s batting lineup and secure a decisive victory. 

Due to his crucial role, Virat Kohli was given the player of the match award. Virat Kohli receiving POTM award drew divided opinions from many within the cricket fraternity, but in the latest remarks, former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer lauded Kohli for stepping up at the right time. 

"Virat Kohli hadn't scored many runs in the tournament, but he chose the right moment to come good. Cometh the hour, cometh the man as we say, his knock of 76 made a lot of difference and kept one end intact," Jaffer said on his YouTube channel.

Jaffer lauded Axal Patel’s indispensable role in India’s victory after he scored 47 runs and took one wicket as well. 

"The most important part I thought was played by Axar Patel. The cameo that he played ensured that the run rate from India never dropped below eight runs per over. He took the attack to the South African bowlers and didn't let them settle, forming a crucial partnership with Kohli," he said..

After India’s T20I World Cup triumph, both veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirements from T20 international cricket. Jaffer paid tribute to both the outgoing players by highlighting their contributions over the years. 

"Two giants of the game (Rohit and Kohli) have retired from T20Is and this will certainly form a big gap. However, they rightly chose to go out on a high after winning the trophy and we should bow down to the true greats of the game. We will continue to see them in IPL, ODIs and Tests," Jaffer noted.