Arshdeep Singh revealed Rohit Sharma’s message to the Indian cricket team on the eve of their 2024 T20 World Cup final against South Africa, which they went on to win.
India won their second T20 World Cup but first world title in 13 years. The frustration had been building. Over the last 12 months, India lost the World Test Championship final and, most gruelling, the 50-over World Cup final at home.
“There was nothing. In the team meeting, Rohit bhai specifically said that we treat it like any other match. ‘Yes the occasion is big but we will treat it like a normal day. Do your routines’. That was the clear message,” Arshdeep Singh revealed during in an interview with Indian Express.
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Virat Kohli’s first half-century of the tournament in what he later revealed was his last T20 international, anchored India to 176/7 after captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bat.
South Africa sprinted to 147/4 in 15 overs when Klaasen smacked three sixes and a four in left-arm spinner Axar Patel’s over which cost India 24 runs.
South Africa needed a run-a-ball 30 to win on the back of Heinrich Klaasen’s belligerent 52 off 27 balls.
Arshdeep Singh, along with Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, who shared seven wickets between them, roared back in the death overs to cut down South Africa at 169/8.
But pace ace Bumrah conceded only six runs off his next two overs and, in between, Pandya got the dangerous Klaasen caught behind.
David Miller couldn’t get the strike much despite scoring 21 and left-arm fast bowler Singh conceded just four in the penultimate over.
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When asked about bowling the 19th over, which is considered more difficult than bowling the last, Arshdeep revealed what his conversation with skipper Rohit was when he was handed the ball.
“There was no such talk. Rohit bhai came and said tu jaisa daalta aya hai World Cup mey bas wahi kar (Bowl the way you have bowled in the World Cup). My idea was to try and bowl dots.” Arshdeep revealed.
That gave Pandya a cushion of 16 runs to defend off the last over.
Off Pandya’s first ball, Miller was dismissed when Suryakumar Yadav plucked a brilliant juggling catch on the edge of the long-off boundary and sealed the result.
India pulled off a sensational seven-run win against South Africa in the gripping final as celebrations began all over the world.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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