'Pant Pretended to be Injured to Break Batter’s Rhythm': Rohit Sharma Reveals 'Clever' Wicketkeeper's Tactics | WATCH

Team India lifted the T20 World Cup 2024 to script history in the Caribbean. In a thrilling finale, the men in blue snatched victory from the jaws of South Africa to end the drought of ICC titles. Post victory, the two stalwarts of the game – Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma – announced their retirements from the shortest format of the game.

South Africa were in a comfortable spot chasing 177 at Barbados. But the pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya collectively pulled off a stunning bowling show to stun the Proteas. They lost 4 wickets in quick succession, letting India excel in the crunch situation. As a result, the men in blue pocketed the contest by 7 runs and became the world champions.

The likes of Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh and Shivam Dube were welcomed by comedian Kapil Sharma on his show on Netflix. Recalling the tense final clash against South Africa, Rohit revealed wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant’s tactical move that had helped India to get back into the game.

“Rishabh Pant’s strategic thinking during a crucial moment in a match may have played a key role in their victory. When the team needed 30 runs off 30 balls, a short break occurred. Pant cleverly used this time to disrupt the batsman’s rhythm by pretending to be injured, which slowed down the game. This tactical move could be considered a significant factor in the win,” Rohit revealed.

“I was busy adjusting the field, Heinrich Klaasen was waiting on strike. And then I suddenly saw Rishabh lying flat. I can’t say that break actually did the job but Pant did apply his brain and we benefitted from it,” he added.

The former T20I captain also spoke about his iconic walk before collecting the World Cup trophy.

“There was no plan for it. It just happened at that moment. I just thought of doing something different. You don’t win World Cups every day. So, when you have done it, something different should be done. I was so involved in that atmosphere,” Rohit said.

The players and the host engaged in a rapid-fire act. The players were asked who was the ‘Ghajini‘ of the side, i.e., the person who forgets a lot. While Arshdeep and Axar were quick to point to Rohit, Dube and Suryakumar sharing hilarious incidents featuring the Indian captain.

“Who is the Ghajini? Who forgets a lot,” Archana Puran Singh asked.

“Oh no!” Rohit exclaimed.

“During the toss, he forgets the names of the two sides of the coin,” Shivam Dube said.