Sharma Reflects on T20 World Cup Triumph, Reveals Nerves and Career Longevity

Rohit Sharma, captain of the Indian cricket team, has shared his reflections on the momentous T20 World Cup victory in 2024. The win, which took place in Barbados on June 29, ended India's 11-year drought of ICC trophies, as they defeated South Africa by seven runs. This triumph marked Sharma's second T20 World Cup title and his first ICC title as captain, a particularly sweet victory after the team's painful loss to Australia in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup final.

Rohit Sharma (ICC Photo)

Speaking on JioHotstar’s show Champions Waali Feeling Phir Se, Sharma reminisced about the victory, saying, "Thirteen years is a long time. Most people don’t even have a 13-year career. So, to wait that long to win a World Cup… the last one I won was in 2007."

He further revealed the intensity of his emotions leading up to the final: "For me, it couldn't have gotten any bigger than this. I didn’t sleep the whole night. I was only thinking about the World Cup. I was nervous. I couldn’t feel my legs. Did I feel nerves? Of course. I just don’t show it—but inside, it was a lot."

Sharma described his restless morning before the match: "We were supposed to leave around 8:30 or 9 in the morning. But I woke up at 7. From my room, I could see the ground and just kept watching it. I remember thinking—‘In two hours, I’ll be there. And in four hours, the result will be out. Either the Cup will be here or it won’t.’”

The T20 World Cup also held significance as the farewell of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from the T20 format.

Sharma's performance throughout the tournament was remarkable. He scored 257 runs in eight innings, including three half-centuries, with an average of 36.71 and a strike rate exceeding 155, making him the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament.