Rohit Sharma Reflects on T20 World Cup Triumph, Reveals Pre-Final Nerves and Career Longevity

Rohit Sharma Reflects on World Cup Triumph, Reveals Nerves Before Decisive Match

NEW DELHI: The euphoria of winning the T20 World Cup in 2024 still resonates deeply with Rohit Sharma. On June 29 of that year, in Barbados, India brought an end to an 11-year wait for an ICC trophy, triumphing over South Africa by seven runs to secure their second ICC T20 World Cup title. This victory marked Rohit Sharma's second T20 World Cup win and his first ICC title as captain. It followed the painful defeat against Australia in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup final on home soil, despite India's impressive ten-match winning streak.

Exactly one year after that momentous victory, India’s T20 World Cup-winning captain, Rohit Sharma, revisited the unforgettable day, sharing his memories and emotions.

"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," he shared in an exclusive interview on JioHotstar’s special show, Champions Waali Feeling Phir Se.

"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. Did I feel nerves? Of course. I just don’t show it—but inside, it was a lot," Rohit confessed.

"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,’” he added, capturing the intensity of the moment.

The tournament also held special significance as it marked the farewell of two iconic players — Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli — from the T20 format. Both legends departed from the shortest format with their heads held high.

Rohit was a prominent performer with the bat for India throughout the tournament, accumulating 257 runs in eight innings, including three half-centuries. He maintained an average of 36.71 and a strike rate exceeding 155, concluding the tournament as the second-highest run-scorer.