Rohit Sharma heaped praise on Virat Kohli, saying the star batter’s innings in the T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa helped calm nerves in the dressing room. Reflecting on India’s historic triumph, Rohit admitted he was panicking and unwell in the dressing room after the team lost three early wickets.
India had won the toss and opted to bat, but captain Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, and Suryakumar Yadav fell cheaply, leaving the side reeling at 34 for 3 in the powerplay.
However, Virat Kohli, who had struggled throughout the tournament in the USA and the West Indies, rose to the occasion in the final, scoring a patient 76 off 59 deliveries. He played the anchor role in a match-turning 72-run stand in nine overs with Axar Patel, who contributed a fluent 47 off 31 balls while playing the aggressor.
After Axar’s dismissal in the 14th over, Kohli and Shivam Dube stitched together 47 runs for the fifth wicket. Dube added 27 from 16 balls, while Kohli provided the much-needed acceleration in the death overs as India posted a competitive 176 for 7 on a good surface in Bridgetown.
“If you hit three boundaries in the first over, then you’ve started well. That’s what every cricketer wants. The experience of playing for India for so many years helps. You can control your emotions, control your thoughts, and stay in the moment,” Rohit told JioCinema, reflecting on Kohli’s knock.
“I’m sure he was thinking the same: ‘Today is the day I need to be focused.’ Not worrying about what happened before. And he played a brilliant innings—a fantastic partnership with Axar. After losing those three wickets up front, there were obviously a lot of nerves in the dressing room.
“I was panicking. I wasn’t comfortable. I thought we’d let them into the game. Of course, in the back of my mind, I always believed our lower middle order—although it hadn’t batted much during the tournament—had made an impact whenever given the opportunity,” he added.
Rohit also lauded Axar Patel’s innings, calling it underrated but crucial to India’s win in the T20 World Cup final.
The former India captain said he believed 176 was a strong total, while praising his bowling unit, led by Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, for stepping up under pressure.
“Not many people are talking about Axar’s knock, but it was the game-changer. Scoring 47 off 31 at that stage was vital. And we needed one player to bat through the innings—Virat did that brilliantly.
“Then we had Shivam, Axar, and Hardik, who came in and played their parts. I thought it was a very good total,” Rohit said.
Rohit and Kohli retired from T20 internationals just hours after lifting the World Cup trophy in Barbados. The visibly emotional skipper described it as the greatest moment of his cricketing career.
BEST MOMENT OF MY LIFE: ROHIT
Rohit also reflected on how India bounced back from the heartbreak of losing the 2023 ODI World Cup final to Australia in Ahmedabad, going on to clinch the T20 crown in Barbados.
“It was by far the best moment of my life, of my cricketing career—to lift the trophy.
“It meant so much to all of us, to that group. We’d experienced the heartbreak of coming so close and falling short. That’s why it was special. We planned meticulously. We worked hard every single day, constantly thinking about how to win the World Cup.
“That’s why every player’s emotions came pouring out on that day,” he said.
Rohit also shared a rare insight into the emotional side of Rahul Dravid, revealing how the head coach—known for his calm demeanour—truly let go in celebration.
“Rahul bhai wanted to step down after the 2023 World Cup. We had to convince him to stay. There was another World Cup in six months. We told him, ‘Let’s give it one more shot, we’ve worked so hard.’ He agreed—and I’m sure he feels it was the right decision in the end,” Rohit added.
Rohit went on to lead India to the Champions Trophy title in early 2025 before retiring from Test cricket. He is expected to continue representing India in the ODI format until the 2027 World Cup.
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