"There Was Threat, We Weren't Allowed To...": Rohit Sharma On T20 World Cup 2024 Match vs Pakistan
Retired from two of the three formats, Rohit Sharma has now got the time to sit back, relax, and look back at some of his recent achievements in international cricket. Though the ODI World Cup dream still remains unfulfilled for Rohit, he did manage to lead the national team to the T20 World Cup 2024 and ICC Champions Trophy 2025 titles recently. These events also included some gruelling contests against Pakistan, India's arch-rivals.
During an interview on JioHotstar, Rohit shared some intriguing details from India's T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, especially as the team was preparing for the match against Pakistan.
"Before the India vs Pakistan match, we were told there was a threat - something was going on. So, two days before the game, we weren't allowed to step out of the hotel. The atmosphere started building from there," Rohit said on JioHotstar.
Though Indian captains often dub matches against Pakistan as 'just another contest', Rohit admitted that the statement isn't really true.
"We were ordering food in, and the hotel was so packed you could barely walk. Fans, media - everyone was there. That's when you realise this isn't just another match - something special is about to happen. As soon as we got near the stadium, it already felt like a celebration - Indian fans, Pakistani fans, all dancing and enjoying themselves," he added.
"I've played so many India-Pakistan games now - I've lost count - but that pre-match energy, that feeling... It's always something else. Nothing compares to it," he further said.
In the T20 World Cup 2024 clash against Pakistan, it was Rishabh Pant who scored 42 off 31 balls in an innings that saw the Indian team being dismissed for 119 in 19 overs.
"We just wanted Rishabh to be Rishabh - do all the things he does best, unsettle the bowlers, play freely. And he did that perfectly. His innings was around 42, and on that pitch, that's as good as scoring 70."
In the match, Jasprit Bumrah turned out to be the team's saviour again, with three wickets to his name, helping the team secure a 6-run win.
"With Bumrah, you've got to be proactive in how you use him. He's a wicket-taker, and at the same time, he's not going to leak runs. So, how do you balance that, especially when the opposition is chasing at a run-a-ball? Arshdeep has been phenomenal too," said Rohit Sharma.
"Over the last two years, there's a reason he's become India's highest wicket-taker in T20Is - he's a really smart bowler. So, with both of them, my focus was on how to use their remaining overs strategically," he added.
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