Rohit Sharma almost in tears in India dressing room, gets comforted by Virat Kohli; Shastri sums up emotional moment
From Adelaide to Guyana, Rohit Sharma’s retribution is complete. From getting hammered by 10 wickets to drubbing England by picking all 10 of theirs, Rohit and India march onto the final of the T20 World Cup.
The sight of Rohit breaking down in the dugout after their T20 World Cup final hopes were dashed left an everlasting impression. It took two years, but revenge was served cold as India absolutely annihilated England by 68 runs in a one-sided contest to qualify for their second World Cup final in seven months.
This win calls for a celebration, but a bigger goal awaits Rohit and the boys. The final. In two days time. Understanding the seriousness of the matter, while the rest of the team was left cock-a-hoop, Rohit maintained a stoic composure. Soon after India skittled England for 103 in their chase of 172 and were done shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries, Rohit quietly sat in the balcony of the dressing room and was lost in his thoughts. Virat Kohli, Rohit’s comrade, attempted to cheer up his skipper, or at least tried to get a smile out of him. But it wasn’t to be. Rohit sat on that chair, his razor-sharp focus already eyeing Saturday’s final against South Africa.
“You see the relief there on Rohit Sharma’s face. Sitting on that chair. What must he be thinking? I tell you… he is looking at Bridgetown already. What lies ahead on Saturday… the final?” former India head coach Ravi Shastri said on commentary, perfectly summing up the mood of the Indian captain.
In the last year, Rohit has led India to the final of three ICC events – the World Test Championship in June 2023, the 50-overs World Cup in November and now this. Yes, everyone said seven months ago this is India’s best chance to win a World Cup, but it doesn’t get better than what lies ahead 36 hours from now. It’s only fitting that the two unbeaten teams in the tournament go on to play the T20 World Cup final. But for India, there is and may not be a better opportunity to end a decade-long agonizing wait.
Rohit Sharma’s consistency as captain
Under Rohit, India have lost just two World Cup/Championship games out of the last 18. And in this while, the captain has led from the front, setting an example for everyone in the team. This is the same guy who took it upon himself to change the way India play their T20 cricket. He realised it in November 10, 2022 itself that if India are to be taken as a serious and potent threat by opposition, being timid cannot be the way forward. Hence, gone were the cautious and watchful approach and in came a brand-new template. Rohit batted with that template at the 50-overs World Cup and almost made India go the distance. Few months down the line, nothing changed as Rohit continues to be the embodiment of this new Indian T20I set-up.
If you thought his innings of 92 against Australia was excellent, Rohit’s 57 off 39 balls was a notch higher. The ball stayed low, and had absolutely no pace. There were instances when Adil Rashid’s deliveries took an eternity to reach Rohit, and yet, playing a completely contrasting innings than the one in St. Lucia, Rohit read the conditions better than anyone else. With six fours, two sixes and a painfully long interruption caused by rain, the skipper didn’t lose a beat. Aiding him at the other end was Suryakumar Yadav, a giant in T20 cricket, who did his own thing, scoring 47 off 36 balls, but Rohit’s knock was something special. Probably one of the more clutch innings of his career.