Indian captain Rohit Sharma recently spoke about his reaction when South Africa was in a winning position during the final match of the recent T20 World Cup 2024. Rohit Sharma admitted that he was completely blank during the crucial moment of the summit clash against the Aiden Markram-led side.

The Men in Blue recorded a seven-run victory in the final match at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on June 29. Rohit Sharma became the second Indian captain to win the T20 World Cup. It is worth mentioning that the veteran opener announced his retirement from the T20I format after the final encounter in the Caribbean.

The match remained close until middle-order batsman Heinrich Klaasen displayed some exceptional batting in the 15th over, changing the pace. Klaasen scored 24 runs off left-arm spinner Axar Patel’s over with two sixes and two fours. The Proteas needed just 30 runs from 30 deliveries to secure their maiden World Cup.

“Yes, I was completely blank,” Rohit said at an event in Dallas, recalling that crucial period of the game.

Leading fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah conceded just four runs in the 16th over to get the Men in Blue back into the game. Hardik Pandya then gave India a crucial boost by dismissing Klaasen on the first ball of the 17th over. South Africa’s batsmen then found it difficult to score runs against the Indian batsmen.

Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh conceded just 22 runs in the last five overs to clinch the World Cup. Suryakumar Yadav took an exceptional catch at the boundary off the first ball of the final over to dismiss David Miller. The Men in Blue ended their decade-long wait for an ICC title.

We focus solely on our work – Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma said the Indian team decided to stick to the basics rather than think too much about anything else when South Africa needed 30 runs in 30 balls. The Indian captain stressed that staying focused and calm allowed them to execute their plans effectively and avoid panic.

“I don’t look too far ahead. It’s very important for me to focus on the moment and the job ahead. It was very important for all of us to stay calm and try to execute our plans. When we were under huge pressure and South Africa needed 30 runs in 30 balls, the five overs we bowled showed how calm we were. We just focused on our job, without thinking too much about anything else. We didn’t panic, that was very good of us,” he said.

Rohit Sharma is likely to be rested for the upcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka in August. The Indian captain is expected to prioritise red-ball cricket due to a packed schedule later this year. India will play home Test matches against Bangladesh and New Zealand as well as the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.

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