Latest news with #ChampionsWaaliFeelingPhirSe
Indian Express
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Rohit Sharma – ‘Cricket is not played thinking about what happened last time…when the toss happens, the (new) game starts'
It does not do to dwell on the past and forget to live, a famous wizard once said. On the cricket field, like in quidditch, the golden snitch has to be chased down every game, no matter how much past losses hurt. Rohit Sharma hurt like hell when Australia inflicted a home defeat in the ODI World Cup final on India at Ahmedabad. But he would return to win the T20 World Cup, on the way evicting Australia. Speaking on JioHotstar show 'Champions Waali Feeling Phir Se,' India's T20 World Cup winning skipper Rohit Sharma, recalled how he approached the Australia game in the Caribbean a year later, which now is a year ago. 'We knew that if we won this match, Australia would be out. That was a decent motivation for all of us. But cricket is not played thinking about what happened last time. Yes, you want to do well against them. But it is never going to be about the past,' Sharma said. Further explaining he said, 'That thing is in the back of the mind — they ruined our 19th November. Not just ours, but the whole country's. So, we should give them a good gift as well. Yes, in the dressing room all this keeps happening among us — between the boys. But when the toss happens, the game starts — then it is all about how you can do your best. When I am batting, I don't think — let's knock them out. It doesn't work like that. I have to focus on how I can play well against them. That was the only thought in my mind — how can I bat well and contribute.' This involved taking on the mighty Mitchell, from the house of Starc. Seeing him looking to contain had given Sharma confidence. 'My plan was to attack everyone. I've played against Mitchell Starc for so many years, so I had my own plans. The Australians are very smart. I felt Starc wasn't trying to get me out. When a bowler starts bowling wide and keeping the ball away, he's just looking to survive, to finish his over. For me, half the battle is won there. That knock was very special to me. Yes, hundreds are great, but some of the 60s or 70s, considering the match context and occasion, are bigger. It's the World Cup — it means a lot. So yes, I'd put that innings right up there,' he said. But Australia with their pedigree in World Cups remains a tough opponent. 'Australia knows how to win World Cups. Come the knockouts (and) finals, they really amp up their game. They know exactly what is needed — how to come together — because they've played so many finals. You have to give them credit. No team wins so many World Cups without having something special. I'm not just talking about players of the past — even the current players have that DNA. What the West Indies did in 1975–79, that era is long gone. But Australia? They're still like that. It's a legacy that's been passed down from generation to generation,' he said. Pakistan are no longer particularly formidable, but there's a tingle to those contests anyway. Sharma recalled the build-up to the India vs Pakistan clash. '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. 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,' he said of the American game. 'As soon as we got near the stadium, it already felt like a celebration — Indian fans, Pakistani fans, all dancing and enjoying themselves. 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.' Rishabh Pant, the flavour of the season in Tests, had set alight that game too and specially in treacherous conditions. '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. It was a very challenging surface — something was always happening. The par score there was probably 130 or 140. We ended up with 119. Our plan wasn't to go for 200 — we were aiming for 140. But of course, we lost wickets along the way. And that's when Rishabh played that crucial knock of 40-plus, which really held things together. Eventually, we got 119 — and I actually felt it could still be a good score. Maybe 10–15 runs short, but I knew that if we got 2–3 early wickets with the new ball, that 119 would start to feel like 160,' Sharma told JioHotstar. On captaining Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, Sharma said, '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. 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. You think about which batters are coming in, how would they handle Arshdeep and Bumrah? On that pitch, it was tough for new batters to settle, so our goal was to force new guys to the crease. That was the plan.'
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Business Standard
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Business Standard
Pant's innings vs Pakistan in 2024 T20 WC was crucial for us: Rohit Shar
One of India's tournament-defining moments in the 2024 T20 World Cup came against Pakistan, where they defended a sub-par total of 119 to win the match. Former India T20 captain Rohit Sharma offered a deep dive into the behind-the-scenes moments before India's tense 2024 T20 World Cup clash against Pakistan, speaking on JioHotstar's special show Champions Waali Feeling Phir Se. Recalling the build-up to the high-voltage fixture, Rohit revealed the team was informed of a security threat two days before the game, forcing them to remain confined to the hotel. The growing buzz, with fans and media swarming the team's base, only heightened the anticipation. According to Rohit, it was clear even before arriving at the ground that this was no ordinary match — it was a festival of emotion and rivalry, unmatched by anything else in world cricket. Pant's knock was the turning point Rohit reserved special praise for Rishabh Pant, who played a vital innings under difficult conditions. While the scorecard showed just over 40 runs, the captain emphasised that Pant's knock held greater value given the tricky surface. Rohit said the team had a target of 140 in mind, but quick wickets disrupted that plan. In that context, Pant's aggressive yet calculated approach made a significant difference. He noted that the pitch was offering constant assistance to bowlers, making even a total of 119 seem defendable. For Rohit, Pant's effort helped stabilise the innings when it could've easily collapsed. Pace duo executes the plan perfectly Turning to India's bowling, Rohit explained how Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh were used strategically during the chase. He described Bumrah as a bowler who not only picks wickets but also keeps runs in check — a rare combination in modern T20 cricket. Arshdeep, too, earned high praise for his intelligence and consistency, with Rohit pointing to his impressive T20I record over the past two years. Their overs were reserved based on match-ups, with a clear intent to expose new batters on a pitch that demanded sharp adjustments.
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Business Standard
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Business Standard
We just wanted to knock Australia out of 2024 T20 World Cup: Rohit Sharma
India's T20 World Cup-winning captain Rohit Sharma opened up about the emotions and tactical thinking behind India's pivotal Super 8s clash against Australia during a special episode of Champions Waali Feeling Phir Se on JioHotstar. Reflecting on that memorable win, Rohit admitted that the team was well aware that a victory would eliminate Australia — and that thought alone served as extra motivation. However, he emphasised that personal revenge or historical baggage wasn't what drove him on the field. While the memories of the 2023 ODI World Cup final loss still lingered in the dressing room, once play began, Rohit said his focus was solely on executing his skills and helping the team win. 'We wanted to give them a gift' According to Rohit, the players did joke about avenging the heartbreak of 19 November 2023, when Australia denied India the ODI World Cup title in Ahmedabad. He revealed that the idea of knocking them out was indeed a popular sentiment in the dressing room. But when the match started, emotions were set aside. Rohit said he doesn't walk in with the mindset of knocking a team out; instead, he focuses on how best he can contribute. Targeting Starc: A tactical battle Talking about his aggressive approach against Australia's pace spearhead Mitchell Starc, Rohit noted that his years of experience facing Starc helped him form a clear plan. He observed that Starc was defensive during their duel, avoiding attacking lines. For Rohit, that was a sign the bowler was trying to survive rather than dismiss him. He cherished that innings — despite it not being a century — as one of his most meaningful in the context of the World Cup. Respecting the Australian legacy Rohit also praised Australia's unmatched pedigree in ICC events. He acknowledged their ability to raise their game during high-pressure knockout stages. Describing it as 'a winning DNA', Rohit said Australia's legacy stretches far beyond the past — their current players carry the same mental toughness and hunger for trophies.
India Gazette
a day ago
- Sport
- India Gazette
"His 42 was more like 70...": Rohit on Pant's knock against Pakistan in T20 WC 2024
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 26 (ANI): Indian T20 World Cup winning skipper Rohit Sharma spoke on team's clash with arch-rivals Pakistan during the marquee T20I tournament last year, including vital contributions of wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, calling his knock of 42 as worth '70 runs' on a tough pitch. On June 9 last year, India defeated Pakistan by six runs in a thriller at New York's Nassau County Stadium. The win was India's second in the tournament, which saw Men in Blue end their 11-year-long trophy drought by beating South Africa by seven runs in the title clash at Barbados. India was undefeated throughout the tournament. Speaking on the stadium, which was a makeshift facility with a drop-in pitch coming from Australia, Rohit said that while the stadium looked grand, they had to practice somewhere else as it lacked practice facilities. He also added that how dressing room in tents brought back old memories of him playing as a youngster in Mumbai's Azad Maidan. 'The stadium was beautiful. When we reached the ground for the first time, there was a trophy unveiling ceremony, and that's when I saw the ground for the first time. We were not allowed to train inside the stadium as there was no practice facility. It was somewhere else,' said Rohit on JioHotstar during the programme 'Champions Waali Feeling Phir Se'. 'We could take the feeling of the ground only when we got to play the match. From first glance, Kaafi grand stadium lag raha tha (The stadium looked pretty grand). It was an open stadium, with good seating arrangements, although it was essentially a makeshift venue. So, the things you expect in a normal venue, you cannot get there. The dressing room was in a tent, which I had experienced as a youngster in Azad Maidan. It brought back those memories,' he added. The skipper added that the stadium was a hard one to 'figure out' in terms of a good total, ideal shot-making, scoring areas and bowler's line and lengths, though it was more in favour of bowlers. 'So the first thing we did in our group talks was we completely took the pitch out of the equation. It had become easier for bowlers to adjust there, but not for us. We just wanted to focus on our skill set and winning the game. We just wanted to play our cricket,' he added. During the match, Pakistan won the toss and elected to field first, and India was reduced to 2/19 with their openers Rohit and Virat Kohli failing. Then, a vital 39-run partnership between Rishabh Pant (42 in 31 balls, with six fours) and Axar Patel (20 in 18 balls, with two fours and a six) followed. India could make only 119 in their 20 overs. Speaking on Rishabh's counter-attack, Rohit said that no advice was given to the swashbuckling southpaw, and the batter took down bowlers well. 'Nhi, nhi nhi... kuch advice nahi tha (No, there was no advice for him). We just wanted Rishabh to be Rishabh. Do all these kinds of things and try to put the bowlers off, and he did that perfectly. His 42 was more like the 70, considering the conditions. It was a challenging pitch. Our plan was not to do 200 runs. We were looking to get 140, we lost wickets, but he played a crucial knock. It was 15-20 runs short (India's total). The skipper said that three early wickets could have made the target look as tough as 160, but the team could not get wickets upfront, with Pakistan playing watchfully without risks. At ten overs, with Pakistan 57/1 and their star batter Mohammed Rizwan still on the crease, the match was in their favour. However, quick wickets from Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya reduced Pakistan to 72/3. With pressure increasing on Pakistan and 40 needed in the final six overs, Rohit introduced Jasprit Bumrah to the attack, who took the crucial wicket of a well-set Rizwan (31) on the very first ball, and from then it was all downhill for Pakistan as Bumrah (3/14), Hardik Pandya (2/24) and Arshdeep Singh (1/31) strangulated Pakistan's batting under pressure, reducing them to 113/7 in their 20 overs. Speaking on the team's mindset while bowling, Rohit said, 'They needed 60 in the final 10 overs. The game was in balance. Two more wickets could have brought them back under pressure. Such was the occasion. We wanted them to chase. That is what happened. They lost quick wickets, and pressure started mounting.' He also spoke about being proactive in using Bumrah's overs effectively, with his wicket-taking abilities and leaking fewer runs being a positive aspect. He was also appreciative of Arshdeep, calling him a 'smart bowler'. 'You have to be proactive with how to use it (Bumrah's overs). He is a wicket-taking bowler; he is not going for a lot of runs. How you are going to factor all this is important, in a match when the opposition needs run-a-ball. I also had Arshdeep. He is such a smart bowler; he is India's leading wicket-taker in T20Is for a reason. What he has accomplished over the past two years is impressive. This is what I had planned, to use their four overs well. It was not going to be easy for the batters,' he added. Even though a vital match was secured, Rohit said that it was nothing more than a regular win. 'It was an opposition and we want to come up against and play well and win. Do not need to overthink and think that if we win against Pakistan, we win the World Cup. It does not work like that. Agar Pakistan ko hara diya aur World Cup nahin jeeta, toh chalega? Nahi chalega (If we beat Pakistan and do not win the World Cup, will it be okay? It's not okay),' Rohit concluded. (ANI)
