A year on from India’s historic ICC T20 World Cup victory in Barbados, captain Rohit Sharma has opened up about the emotions, pressure and pivotal moments that led to what he called “the best moment” of his cricketing life.
On 29 June 2024, India ended an 11-year-long ICC title drought, defeating South Africa by seven runs in a nerve-shredding final to lift the T20 World Cup for the second time. It marked Rohit’s second T20 World Cup title — his first as captain — and a moment of redemption following the heartbreak of losing to Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup final after a flawless 10-match run.
“Thirteen years is a long time. Most players don’t even have careers that long,” Rohit said on JioHotstar’s special programme Champions Waali Feeling Phir Se. “To wait that long for a World Cup win — it couldn’t have been anything bigger.”
The night before the final was anything but easy. “I didn’t sleep at all. I couldn’t feel my legs. I was nervous, just thinking about the result,” Rohit admitted. “There was even a rain forecast, and I was praying the game wouldn’t go to the reserve day.”
Batting first, India were reeling at 34/3, leaving Rohit panicked. But it was Virat Kohli, struggling for form till then, who rose to the occasion. Kohli smashed three boundaries early in his innings, signalling a return to his imperious best. He went on to score a crucial 76 off 59 balls, anchoring the innings alongside Axar Patel, whose counter-attacking 47 off 31 balls, including four sixes, proved vital.
“If you hit three boundaries in the first over, you’re off to a great start. That’s what every batter wants,” Rohit said, praising Kohli’s composure. “He was focused, and the partnership with Axar changed the game.”
India eventually posted 176/7, thanks to late cameos from Shivam Dube (27 off 16) and Hardik Pandya (5* off 2). “It was a very good total,” Rohit noted. “Our lower middle order hadn’t been tested much during the tournament, but whenever they got a chance, they delivered.”
Each over of the final, Rohit recalled, brought its drama. “There was so much happening, and I had to be spot on with my changes,” he said. Jasprit Bumrah’s dismissal of Reeza Hendricks with a “peach of a delivery” set the tone, but Heinrich Klaasen’s 24-run assault on Axar in the 15th over tilted the match in South Africa’s favour.
Rohit reflected candidly on that moment: “It was the biggest over. Klaasen was converting good balls into bad ones. I did think about a bowling change, but I don’t regret the decision. Sometimes, things don’t go your way—that’s the beauty of sport.”
The tide turned in the 16th over when Hardik dismissed Klaasen with what Rohit called “the ideal T20 ball”—a perfectly pitched wider delivery that Klaasen could only manage for a single. “You can’t take anything for granted. But we felt it was time to squeeze them and build pressure.”
The defining moment came in the final over with Suryakumar Yadav’s acrobatic catch to dismiss the dangerous David Miller. Surya leapt beyond the boundary ropes, pulled the ball back mid-air, and completed the catch. “I thought it was a six,” Rohit said. “Everyone’s heart was in their mouth. But the wind helped. I just asked him, ‘Tu hi bata’.”
South Africa, needing 30 off the final 30 balls, crumbled under pressure and finished at 169/8.
“It meant so much to all of us to that group,” Rohit said, reflecting on the moment he lifted the trophy. “We experienced the heartbreak of coming close and falling short. That’s why it was so special. We planned meticulously, worked hard every day, and always thought about how to win the World Cup. Every player’s emotions came pouring out on that day.”
For Rohit Sharma, the victory was not just a personal milestone but the culmination of a nation’s cricketing dream.
