Captain Rohit Sharma has talked candidly about the emotional path that led to India’s historic victory over South Africa, only one year after the team lifted the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 trophy in Barbados.
At the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, on June 29, 2024, the Men in Blue defeated South Africa by an exciting seven runs, ending an 11-year ICC trophy drought. The victorious captain talked about the anxiety and stress leading up to the final, stating that he had trouble sleeping the night before.
It’s a long time—13 years. Most people’s careers don’t last even 13 years. The last World Cup I won was in 2007, so I had to wait that long to win one. It couldn’t have gotten any larger in my opinion. I didn’t get any sleep at all. All I could think about was the World Cup. I felt anxious. I was unable to feel my legs. Was I anxious? Naturally. It was a lot on the inside, but I just don’t display it. Our departure time was set for 8:30 or 9:00 a.m.
However, I awoke at seven. I could see the ground from my room and continued to observe it. I recall thinking, “I’ll be there in two hours.” And the outcome will be available in four hours. Rohit Sharma stated exclusively on JioHotstar’s special show “Champions Waali Feeling Phir Se” that “the Cup will either arrive or it won’t.”
The 38-year-old was under tremendous pressure going into the final after leading India to a ten-match winning streak in the 2023 ODI World Cup before losing to Australia at the last second. Notably, it was Rohit’s first ICC championship as captain and India’s first since the 2011 ODI World Cup. In his first year, he was a member of the team that won the 2007 T20 World Cup. With 257 runs at a strike rate of more than 155, the Nagpur native finished as the team’s second-highest run scorer, leading from the front the entire tournament.
It was the match’s moment: Rohit Sharma
Heinrich Klaasen’s 23-ball fifty in the final, which included a 24-run over off Axar Patel, served as the cornerstone of South Africa’s chase. With big-hitters like David Miller still at the crease and only 30 runs needed from the last five overs, the Proteas sought to ruin India’s celebration. However, Suryakumar Yadav, who was positioned at long-off, dismissed Miller and put the team back in the game with a spectacular relay catch at the boundary line.
Since Surya was far away, his catch was, quite honestly, the game-changing moment. The umpires continued to examine to see if he touched the rope even after he took it. They all had their hearts in their mouths. I was seeing it happen at long-on. Before Surya flew in and took that blinder, it appeared to be a six. I believe that the wind helped push the ball back a little.
During the check, I stood next him. “I think I’ve caught it,” he responded when I asked. The zoom camera demonstrated that the rope remained still, which typically occurs when it is touched. We were somewhat relieved by that. But you can’t tell what the third umpire will decide until it flashes on the big screen,” Rohit Sharma continued.
Following the victory, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma declared their retirement from Twenty20 international cricket. Rohit Sharma and Kohli left the format on a high note after winning Player of the Match in the final.
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