New Delhi: Revisiting India’s T20 World Cup triumph under his captaincy, Rohit Sharma has revealed he was a bundle of nerves, didn’t sleep the whole night, and “couldn’t feel my legs” before the big final against South Africa.
Sunday marked the first anniversary of the memorable win in Barbados that broke 13 years of World Cup title drought for India.
“Thirteen years is a long time. Most people don’t even have a 13-year career. So, to wait that long to win a World Cup… the last one I won was in 2007. For me, it couldn’t have gotten any bigger than this. I didn’t sleep the whole night. I was only thinking about the World Cup. I was nervous. I couldn’t feel my legs,” Rohit reminisced while speaking to JioHotstar.
“Did I feel nerves? Of course. I just don’t show it — but inside, it was a lot. We were supposed to leave around 8:30 or 9 in the morning. But I woke up at 7. From my room, I could see the ground and just kept watching it.
“I remember thinking — ‘In two hours, I’ll be there. And in four hours, the result will be out. Either the Cup will be here or it won’t’.”
The skipper described the nimble-footed Suryakumar Yadav’s catch to dismiss David Miller in the last over as the defining moment of the final.
“Even after (the catch), the umpires sent it up to the third umpire and it was being checked whether Surya caught the ball or not, and everyone’s hearts were in their mouths.
“I thought it was gone, and it was a six because I was on the long off. I was standing right opposite Surya,” Rohit said of the thrilling game.
Suryakumar showed great presence of mind to pull off a stunning catch at long-off to dismiss the dangerous looking Miller, which eventually sealed a seven-run win for the Indian team.
Detailing the catch, the then India captain added, “I saw this and thought ‘Oh shit’, (they now need) 10 (runs) off five balls. But then I saw that the ball is coming into Surya’s hands.
“It would have taken a blinder to take that catch. It would have taken a lot of effort to take that catch because when it was in the air it looked like it would cross the rope easily. Maybe the wind pulled the ball a bit into the ground.
“I was standing with Surya. When the umpires were checking the catch and I said ‘Surya, tell me. You tell me. I don’t want to look there (at big screen). And he said I have caught it.
“Surya is honestly one of the safest catchers in the team — without a doubt. I haven’t seen him drop many catches. He’s got incredibly safe hands.”
South Africa needed 16 in the last over bowled by Hardik Pandya but could manage only eight runs, after Virat Kohli anchored India to 176 for seven with a 59-ball 76 after Keshav Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada removed Rohit, Rishabh Pant and Suryakumar.
Pandya also contributed to the win with three vital wickets.
“When we lost those three wickets up front, there were obviously a lot of nerves in the dressing room,” Rohit said.
“I was panicking. I was not comfortable. I was thinking that we let them into the game.
“But of course, in the back of my mind there was always a thought that our lower middle order had not batted so much in the tournament but whenever they had the opportunity, they made an impact.”
Rohit recalled the useful knock played by left-arm spinner Axar Patel and his 72-run partnership with Kohli, before the superstar added another 57 runs with Shivam Dube to lift India to 176 for seven.
“Not many people are talking about (Axar’s) knock, but that knock was a game-changer. To get 47 off 31 in that time was very, very crucial.
“And then we needed one guy to stick around and Virat did that job perfectly. Batted throughout the entire innings, which was good. Because then Shivam, Axar, Hardik — they can come in and play their role,” Rohit said.
Kohli, who had until then struggled to get going, fired when it mattered — the big final — and was the Player of the Match.
“You know, the experience of playing for India for so long, being there, it really helps. You can control your emotions, you can control your thoughts and be in the moment.
“And I am sure he was thinking the same – ‘today is the day I need to be focused and not worry about what has happened in the past’. And he played a great knock,” Rohit said of his longtime India teammate.
