NEW DELHI: India, led by skipper
Rohit Sharma
, put on a commanding performance to defeat defending champions England by 68 runs and secure their place in the
T20 World Cup final
.
Rohit's elegance with the bat was complemented by the exceptional bowling of
Axar Patel
and
Kuldeep Yadav
, as the team put the disappointments of 2022 behind them.
With this victory, Rohit achieved a remarkable feat, becoming the first Indian captain to lead the nation in three ICC global finals within a 12-month period.
This includes the 2023 World Test Championship, the 2023 ODI World Cup, and now the T20 World Cup.
An elated Rohit termed this victory as a very satisfying win and gave full credit to the teammates.
"Very satisfying to win. Worked very hard as a unit and it was a great effort from all. We adapted really well, conditions were challenging. That's been the success story for us so far. If bowlers and batters adapt, things fall in place. At one stage, 140-150 looked par. But we got runs in the middle, SKY and I were going and thought we can get 20-25 more. I didn't want to give that away, wanted to let the batters play on instinct. 175 was a very good score, bowlers were fantastic. Axar, Kuldeep are gun spinners. Tough to play shots against them in these conditions. They were calm under pressure," Rohit said at the post-match presentation.
On out-of-form Kohli, Rohit said we understand his class as form is never a problem for him when you've played for 15 years.
"We had a chat after the first innings, the message was to keep stumps in play. That's what they did. (Kohli) We understand his class. Form is never a problem when you've played for 15 years. Probably saving for the final. We've been calm as a team. Final is a big occasion but being composed helps make good decisions. I thought today we were steady and didn't panic. That's been key. (Can they win an ICC trophy for the first time since 2013) We'll try our best, team is in good shape. All I can hope is to put up a good show come the finals," Rohit added.
English (US) ·