NEW DELHI: India skipper
Rohit Sharma
finally revealed the most nerve-wracking moment of the
T20 World Cup final
that ultimately sealed the fate of the championship.
India found themselves in a challenging situation as
South Africa
closed in on victory, needing a mere 30 runs from the final 30 deliveries with six wickets remaining.
Heinrich Klaasen was in sublime form, unleashing a flurry of shots against the Indian spinners and sending the ball to various parts of the stadium.
His blistering knock saw him reach a half-century off just 23 balls.
During the crunch-final moments of the match, Rohit's mind was devoid of any thoughts. The Indian skipper emphasised the significance of remaining in the moment in those pivotal five overs.
"Yes, I was completely blank. I don't look too far ahead. It's very important for me to stay in the moment and focus on the job at hand. It was very important for all of us to stay calm and try to execute our plans,” Rohit said at an event in Dallas.
Rohit further stressed the importance of maintaining composure in high-pressure situations, which played a crucial role in the team's success.
“When we were under immense pressure when South Africa needed 30 runs off 30 balls, the five overs that we bowled showed how calm we were. We just focussed on our job, not thinking much about anything else. We didn't panic; that was very good from our side," he added.
India found themselves in a precarious position, with only 29 runs to defend in the final five overs. However, their star bowler
Jasprit Bumrah
once again proved to be their savior, receiving excellent support from fellow seamers
Hardik Pandya
and
Arshdeep Singh
.
Bumrah conceded a mere six runs in the last over and claimed the crucial wicket of
Marco Jansen
.
Arshdeep maintained the pressure in the penultimate over, giving away just four runs. Hardik struck a decisive blow in the 17th over, removing the dangerous Klaasen. The all-rounder then took on the responsibility of bowling the final over and immediately dismissed the well-set David Miller on the first delivery, thanks to an unbelievable catch by
Suryakumar Yadav
.
After Miller's dismissal, India successfully closed out the game and secured a seven-run victory, winning the 2024 T20 World Cup and ending their 11-year-long ICC Trophy drought.
English (US) ·