But I’m certainly not going to retire from this format, that’s just to clarify no more rumours about this from here on,” Rohit was quoted as saying during the post-match conference. These comments came as his retirement from international T20s was announced after leading India to victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup. Expounding upon his career and the team’s recent successes, Rohit stated that there isn’t any set “future plans,” and India’s approach to ODIs will remain constant. “Let’s see. It is a great team achievement for us to win two ICC trophies, and there is icing on the cake not losing any games.
I have seen very few teams who have won two tournaments unbeaten. For us, the most important part was coming here prepared and giving a fight to the opposition. We played according to conditions. Whatever is happening will just keep happening; there is no future plan.”
India, with Rohit Sharma in charge, chased down New Zealand’s 252 with ease in the final. He started it right at the top with a well-compiled 76 off 83 balls, contributing to a 105-run opening stand with Shubman Gill. His brisk 49 off 40 balls took the pressure off to have a better run chase for India in powerplay overs. KL Rahul remained not out on 34 off 33 in a bid to finish things off quite well under pressure. Rohit praised Rahul’s cool temperament under pressure: “Once again, a very steady mind. He is never overawed by any pressure that is surrounding him. That was one of the reasons we wanted him to do in the middle phases, to try to finish games for us. Providing class and experience, he does infuse a bit of calm while he bats.”
The batting depth of India was crucial for their success. Rohit stated that having Ravindra Jadeja at No. 8 let the top-order play with freedom. “It makes it a lot easier; it gives you the freedom as well,” he said. “Jadeja coming in at No. 8 gives you that confidence to play somewhat positively in the first few overs with the new ball. If it comes off, great! If it doesn’t, then so be it. If I’m clear in my mind, that is the most important.” The spinners did a commendable job for India, especially Varun Chakravarthy, who was given a chance in the playing XI just later in the tournament. He was the second-highest wicket-taker with nine wickets over three matches at an economy rate of 4.53.
Rohit lauded the impact of the spinner: “Not just this game, but right from the beginning, our spinners, in particular, never disappointed. We did know their strengths; this playing on such pitches helped, and we made use of them. Throughout this tournament, with regards to killing, we did keep on being consistent.” Varun’s most memorable moment was against New Zealand during the group stage when he achieved his five-wicket haul. “He has got something different about him,” Rohit said. “When we are playing on such pitches, we want the batters to do something different, and that’s when he becomes a lot more dangerous. We wanted to maximise on that, and he didn’t let us down.”
With back-to-back ICC trophies secured under his captaincy, Sharma has ensured that he has secured his legacy among the most successful leaders that India has had. With the continued support that India has shown to him while he continues his ODI journey, he would look to build from that momentum for India and further try and carve out the place of dominance that India has shared on the world stage.
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