(Source X)
Years of effort, heartache, and struggle culminated in a single moment as Hardik Pandya released the final delivery, collected by Arshdeep Singh to secure their ultimate goal: reclaiming the T20 World Cup trophy.
For Indian captain Rohit Sharma, the intensity of the moment overwhelmed him. He dropped to his knees and then collapsed onto the ground, tears held back, shouting with a mix of joy and relief. It was the pinnacle of his career, a moment he described as the “greatest.”
Reflecting on the emotional journey, Rohit spoke about the immense weight he had carried and the profound sense of relief in finally achieving the long-standing ambition of bringing a World Cup trophy home to India.
“It was very emotional. I wanted this badly. So, it’s very hard to put it in words because that moment, I don’t want to say what I was thinking and what was going in my mind, but it was a very emotional moment personally for me,” stated a jubilant Rohit.
“I wish I could capture that moment myself but not really, you can’t do that but I will always remember that. Yeah, those are the moments you wait for and then you don’t plan these things, it just happens because you’re so desperate for certain things in life and I was very desperate for this in my life so happy that we eventually crossed the line this time,”
Having partnered with Virat Kohli at the top of the order throughout the T20 World Cup, Rohit Sharma revealed his decision to step away from T20 cricket, mirroring Kohli’s retirement after their victorious final game.
Rohit’s illustrious career now includes two T20 World Cup victories: the first as a player in 2007 and now as captain in 2024.
“This was my last (T20i) game as well. There is no better time to say goodbye to this format,” Rohit told the post-game press conference.
“I’ve loved every moment of this. I started my India career playing this format. This is what I wanted, I wanted to win the Cup,” he said.
“I wanted this badly. Very hard to put in words. It was a very emotional moment for me. I was very desperate for this title in my life. I’m happy that we eventually crossed the line,” he said.
