Right after Hardik Pandya delivered the last ball of the match to signal India’s victory in the T20 World Cup final against South Africa in Barbados on June 29, Rohit Sharma’s emotions showed up during different moments, as emotional celebratory scenes unfolded at the Kensington Oval. In one such moment, the India captain walked up to the pitch, got down on his haunches, picked up a speck of soil from the track and ate it.
The moment reminded of tennis legend Novak Djokovic eating a strand of grass from the Wimbledon centre court after one of his triumphs at the famous Grand Slam event. But Rohit insisted his move wasn’t “scripted”, rather it was “instinctive”.
WISH TEAM INDIA
Speaking on a video the BCCI recorded during Rohit’s photoshoot with the trophy, the India captain shared the emotions that took him to the centre of the ground.
“Nothing was scripted; it was all coming instinctively. I was feeling the moment,” said Rohit in the video shared by BCCI on social media.
“…because that pitch gave us this (T20 World Cup), we played on that particular pitch and we won the game on that particular ground, I will remember that ground and that pitch forever in my life. So I wanted to have a piece of it with me. Those moments are very, very special; and the place where all our dreams came true, I wanted something of it. That was the feeling behind it,” he said.
India won the final by seven runs in a last-ball finish, coming back from a point where South Africa seemed to have the game in hand, requiring 30 of 30 balls while chasing India’s 176 for 7. But Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah struck crucial blows, helped by Suryakumar Yadav’s stupendous catch, in the dying stages to turn the tide and limit the Proteas to 169 for 8.
“The feeling actually is surreal,” Rohit further said. “I would say it still hasn’t sunk in totally. It’s been a great moment, right from when the game got over till now. It feels like a dream…Although it has happened, it feels like it hasn’t happened. That’s the emotion, that’s the feeling you have.
“We had dreamt about it, worked hard as a unit for such a long period of time. To see this now with us, we feel quite relieved as well because when you work hard for something and you eventually get it in the end, it feels really really nice.”
The skipper went on to add that the party went deep into the night, and that he will catch up on sleep once he gets home. However, a hurricane around Barbados has delayed the team’s departure. The T20 champions are now expected to arrive back home on Tuesday or Wednesday.
“Last night, we were having a good time, had a blast with the teammates till very early morning. So I would say I didn’t sleep properly, but that’s absolutely fine for me. Not to sleep after a day like that, I am totally fine (with it). There is a lot of time for me to go back home and sleep. So I am going to catch up on that,” said 37-year-old Rohit, who became the oldest captain to win the T20 World Cup.
At the post-match press conference, Rohit went on to announce his retirement from T20Is, a decision that Virat Kohli had also taken soon after the end of the final.
“Like I said, this moment was very, very special for all of us, and I want to live it, each moment, each minute, each second that is passing by, I want to make the most of it,” concluded Rohit, with the T20 World Cup trophy on his side.
