Not Virat Kohli Or Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma Credits This India Star For T20 World Cup Win
Earlier, India faced early trouble while batting first. A top-order collapse put them on the back foot, but Virat Kohli and Axar Patel stepped up to steady the innings. Kohli anchored the innings with a 76-run knock off 59 deliveries, his slow strike rate did raise some eyebrows but his presence at the crease helped keep the scoreboard moving. Axar's 47 off 31 balls came at a crucial time, lifting India's spirits and giving them hope. Shivam Dube also chipped in with a quickfire 27 off 16, pushing India's total to a competitive 176.
A year after that iconic win, captain Rohit Sharma opened up about what went on behind the scenes during that high-pressure final. Speaking to Star Sports, he revealed how tense things were in the dressing room after the early wickets fell and credited the Kohli-Axar partnership for shifting the momentum.
'I'm sure he (Kohli) was thinking the same: 'Today is the day I need to be focused.' Not worrying about what happened before. And he played a brilliant innings—a fantastic partnership with Axar. After losing those three wickets up front, there were obviously a lot of nerves in the dressing room. I was panicking. I wasn't comfortable,' Rohit said.
He also gave special praise to Axar Patel for a knock that hasn't received enough attention.
'Not many people are talking about Axar's knock, but it was the game-changer. Scoring 47 off 31 at that stage was vital. And we needed one player to bat through the innings—Virat did that brilliantly. Then we had Shivam, Axar, and Hardik, who came in and played their parts,' he added.
In the second innings, India's bowlers had to dig deep as South Africa looked poised for victory. But a remarkable fightback led by Bumrah and Pandya sealed the win and ended India's 11-year wait for an ICC trophy.
Looking back at that unforgettable night, Rohit couldn't hide his emotions.
'It was by far the best moment of my life, of my cricketing career to lift the trophy. It meant so much to all of us, to that group. We'd experienced the heartbreak of coming so close and falling short. That's why it was special. We planned meticulously. We worked hard every single day, constantly thinking about how to win the World Cup. That's why every player's emotions came pouring out on that day,' he said
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
IND vs ENG 2nd Test, Day One, Edgbaston: With grit and wit, captain Shubman Gill keeps India's ship afloat through rough seas
A bit harsh on himself, Indian captain Shubman Gill had said he should have batted 'more responsibly' and scored 50 more runs in the first Test at Headingley that India lost. Not to forget that he had made 147. On Day 1 of the second Test, Gill walked the talk. His unbeaten of 114 from 216 balls was worthy of being called a true captain's knock. Having taken several unpopular selection calls, India captain couldn't afford to get out cheaply. His inning was a tutorial in the art of countering a clever opposition that constantly challenged the batsmen. He did what other batsmen couldn't—see through the boobytraps and smokescreens that Ben Stokes put in place. KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair and Rishabh Pant fell to set plans. Shubman and his 99-runs partnership with Ravindra Jadeja (41) helped India see through the day to be at 310/5, a score that comes with a promise. In case the much-maligned, but altered, lower order bats well, India's team management wouldn't have to answer that vexed question – Why Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav were not played here? Skillful. Splendid. Skipper #ShubmanGill! The captain scored a delightful century to give #TeamIndia the upper hand at the end of Day 1! Will he continue with the same momentum on Day 2?#ENGvIND 👉 2nd Test, Day 2 | THU, 3rd JULY, 2:30 PM | Streaming on JioHotstar! — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 2, 2025 The final session of the day was like two captains matching wits—the outdoor team sport looked like an individual mental duel. Stokes attacked, Shubman defended, and also attacked. They packed the off-side to tempt the Indian captain to drive but he either defended on the front foot or drove through the gap. The way he passed hundred had the same theme. Joe Root crowded the leg-side and tossed up his leg-spinner. Shubman would still find the gap with a paddle sweep. He would let out a cry, punch his fist and finally do his trademark graceful bow – that last gesture bringing him back to the tranquil self after briefly letting off the steam. Others were not that composed. Stokes clearly had tailored plans for every Indian batsman and they mostly worked. At the start of the innings, new-ball bowler Chris Woakes had a leg-slip for KL Rahul and kept targeting him with full-length nip-backers. At the stumps, making him play. In the first Test, there were quite a few outside-off balls that Rahul kept leaving comfortably. Not here. Rahul would stand there, mimicking the release and inward direction of the ball. He can put out a big stride forward, but this line for some reason was preventing him from doing that. The indecisiveness cost him dearly. As expected it was a nip-backer, with Woakes adding extra bounce to it. Rahul did manage to ride over it but it was too steep for him to keep it away from stumps. For Jaiswal, Stokes had an alternate plan. For him it was the outside-off tempter. Jaiswal played and missed a few times – be it attempted cuts or expansive drives. He connected with a couple, creaming it through the off, but it was a line that kept him on his toes. 4️⃣ 4️⃣ 4️⃣ – That's how you bring up a fifty! 💪@ybj_19 continues his love affair with #ENG, his 7th 50+ score in just 12 innings against them! Will he convert this into another hundred?✍🏻👇#ENGvIND 👉 2nd TEST, Day 1 | LIVE NOW on JioHotstar ➡ — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 2, 2025 Post lunch, India batsmen put on a show that whipped up memories of Day 1 from Headingley. They were sparklingly entertaining. Jaiswal and Karun Nair were on a driving spree. England bowlers tried to induce a false stroke but failed. Nair, though, had a couple of iffy leaves that almost got him out. After he had straight driven an over-pitched Woakes ball down the ground for a glorious boundary, Nair had a close shave. The ball that got him in trouble was the one pitched on good length. Nair thought the ball was not in the line of the stumps, so he let go. The nip-backer hit Nair on the pad. Luckily DRS saved him, if the bounce was slightly low he would have been out. Woakes was frustrated, for the second time DRS had gone against him. On both occasions, the ball was slightly higher. Making a course correction, the English bowlers pitched slightly up but Nair drove them through cover, long-off, long on and even square leg. Close to lunch, Stokes would get Carse and he would be asked to make the ball rise from good length. Carse would come up with a ball that not many batsmen could have fended. Nair did try, he took a hand off the bat, tried to play it down but he looped to the slips. Jaiswal was unperturbed by the mishaps. He punched the full balls to the fence and the ones on good length were slapped on the up to the off-side. The short ones would either guide between the gaps in the slip cordon, pull out of the boundary or were treated with the tennis forehand like swat. Jaiswal, like in the first innings at Headingley, seemed in a space where another hundred seemed inevitable. Stokes kept thinking, his brain ticking. Relentlessly running hard, he bowled in the channel outside off. He kept the ball short, had a third man for protection but kept the square boundary on the off-side unguarded by bringing the point close. Stokes wanted Jaiswal to cut since his driving was virtually flawless. The plan worked, Jaiswal's fast bat speed to a slowish delivery resulted in him edging the ball to wicket-keeper. It looked like a nothing ball but it wasn't. The England plan of the day was the one that got Pant. The tall offie Shoaib Basheer was the enforcer. Stokes field placement for Pant was a mid-on and a deep mid-wicket faintly straight. This field gave ideas to batsmen like Pant. There was no one to catch if he lifted the ball straight to the sight screen. Ben Stokes knew that Jaiswal's wicket was massive 💥 #SonySportsNetwork #GroundTumharaJeetHamari #ENGvIND #NayaIndia #DhaakadIndia #TeamIndia #ExtraaaInnings — Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) July 2, 2025 Basheer would flight the ball to the left-hander's middle-leg, inviting him to hit. The world knows Pant doesn't mind attacking spinners. Soon he did – pulling off the tough shot by timing it sweetly, making it look effortless. Stokes continued with the same field and the same plan. Basheer kept flighting the ball. Few balls later, he tossed one a bit higher, reduced the pace but landed it on exactly the same spot where Pant had hit him for a six earlier. Pant's timing failed this time and Zak Crawley moved from deep mid-wicket and ran sideways to hold the catch. England celebrated, they knew the importance of the wicket. At the toss Stokes was sought for his comments about the first Test win being called an example of Bazball with brains. 'Brains and me and Baz are not three things you put together,' he replied. Underplaying himself, playing the fool, is another smart trait of this quintessential Bazballer.
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
Jaiswal-Gill half-century stand takes India to 182/3, Stokes strikes in balanced session (Day 1, Tea)
Birmingham [UK], July 2 (ANI): A half-century between Yashasvi Jaiswal and skipper Shubman Gill drove India closer to the 200-run mark at the end of the second session on day one during the first session against England at Birmingham on Wednesday. In what was another shared session, thanks to Jaiswal's dismissal, India stood at 182/3, with Gill (42*) and Rishabh Pant (14*) unbeaten. India kickstarted the second session at 98/2, with Jaiswal (62*) and skipper Gill (1*) at the crease. With a double, India reached the 100-run mark in 25.3 overs. Gill and Jaiswal were more watchful, with the Indian skipper surviving a close call for leg-before-wicket against Chris Woakes. Later on, Gill eased some pressure with two boundaries against him in the 33rd over. The duo was not in a hurry to score after a solid first session, reaching their fifty-run stand in 103 balls. The skipper focused on settling himself on the crease while Jaiswal curbed down his attacking game. Just when it seemed that the Gill-Jaiswal would end the session together, a Ben Stokes miracle finally arrived. Ball in the hand, the England skipper managed to get the edge of Jaiswal's bat caught by wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith. Jaiswal walked back for a brilliant 87 in 107 balls, with India at 161/3 in 45.1 overs, ending a 66-run third-wicket stand. Rishabh Pant was the next batter on the crease and he broke a 22-ball block session with a six on a Shoaib Bashir delivery while Gill reached 40s on the other end. Gill and Pant ended the session without any further loss. At the end of the session, India was 98/2, with Jaiswal (62*) and skipper Gill (1*) unbeaten. With England getting Nair towards the end of the first session, the session looked balanced for each side. After England won the toss and opted to field first, openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal were watchful in the initial overs as Chris Woakes opened the bowling. Jaiswal started off hot, unleashing two fours against Brydon Carse and also surviving an lbw review against Woakes. However, in the ninth over, KL lost his wicket, as he played a delivery back onto his stumps, giving Woakes his wicket for two. India was 15/1 in 8.4 overs. After managing just 17 runs in the first 10 overs, Jaiswal, along with Karun Nair, cut loose for the next few overs, playing with freedom. Nair found four boundaries in quick succession against Woakes and Josh Tongue, unleashing some beautiful drives through covers. In the 16th over by Tongue, Jaiswal unleashed three boundaries against the pacer, including a classy drive straight down the ground on a 145 kmph delivery. India reached the 50-run mark in 15.2 overs, thanks to two successive fours. By the end of the 20th over, India was 75/1, playing at a decent ODI tempo. In the 22nd over, Tongue was once again at the receiving end of Jaiswal's wrath as a hat-trick of boundaries took him to his 11th Test fifty in just 59 balls, with 10 fours. However, Nair failed to make the most of his start, falling to a short ball by Carse that landed into Harry Brook's hands at slips, removing him for a 50-ball 31, with five fours. India was 95/2 in 23.3 overs, ending a fine 80-run second wicket partnership. Jaiswal and skipper Shubman Gill made sure India did not lose any more wickets. Brief Scores: India: 182/3 (Yashasvi Jaiswal 87, Shubman Gill 42*, Brydon Carse 1/26) against England. (ANI)
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
‘Purest of batters, purest of bowlers': Amanjot shines in 2nd T20I win
Chandigarh: Ahead of the England tour, the Indian women's team had primarily looked at Amanjot Kaur in a bowling role in white-ball cricket. But on Tuesday night, in the second T20I against England at Bristol, she proved her coach Nagesh Gupta's assessment of her as a two-dimensional cricketer. India's Amanjot Kaur in action. (Reuters) The 24-year-old hit an impressive unbeaten 40-ball 63 batting at No.5, the joint top score. And coming on to bowl, Amanjot first grabbed the all-important wicket of the in-form England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt. However, it was with the bat that she truly instilled a level of confidence that was long missing in the Indian team. A seam-bowling all-rounder is a luxury for any team and with India preparing for the upcoming Women's ODI World Cup and the T20 World Cup next year, India would love to add that kind of luxury to the talent they can call upon. Amanjot made sure that she stuck to her job and partnered with joint top-scorer Jemimah Rodrigues, raising 93 runs for the fourth wicket. She then stitched together an unbeaten 57 with Richa Ghosh (32*) as India recorded 181/4 – the second-highest women's T20I total at Bristol. She completed her maiden T20I half-century off 35 balls. During the rebuilding job, Amanjot also showed that she can accelerate the innings with clean stroke play in the death overs as well. India scored 117 runs in the last 10 overs after the early jolts when they lost Shafali Verma (3), Smriti Mandhana (13) and Harmanpreet Kaur (1), reducing India to 31/3 within the Powerplay phase. Jemimah underlined her experience, smashing a 41-ball 63 to revive the Indian innings. She went after Linsey Smith (0/37) and Em Arlott (1/43) to inflict further damage. 'Credit goes to Jemi for pacing her innings so well. She told me to stay at the wicket for a longer time and then we wanted to take it deep. Afterwards, Richa finished the innings well,' Amanjot said after the game. India beat England by 24 runs to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20I series. Harleen Deol, who scored 43 off 23 balls in the first match, was left out with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur returning after sitting out the Trent Bridge game. Amanjot is enjoying her comeback into the Indian team. She had suffered a hand and back injury in 2024, forcing her to miss the T20 World Cup as well as the domestic season. But she made use of the Women's Premier League stint with Mumbai Indians to earn her India call-up. Speaking on her maiden T20 half-century and the all-rounder tag, Amanjot said, 'It is the first of many. I am now being called an all-rounder, but I would like to believe that I am the purest of the bowlers and the purest of the batters. I want to do it more for India.' Her innings included nine fours, the same number hit by Jemimah. Richa Ghosh remained unbeaten on 32. England once again failed to mount a serious chase as they were restricted to 157/7. Tammy Beaumont top-scored with 54 and Amy Jones (32) Sophie Ecclestone (35) contributing, but it could not prevent a 24-run defeat.
