(BCCI Credit)
Fast bowler Ishant Sharma is optimistic about Team India’s chances of clinching the T20 World Cup 2024 title and putting an end to their ICC trophy drought, which has persisted since 2013 despite multiple knockout stage appearances.
India will face England in the semi-finals, a repeat of the last edition where England defeated India by 10 wickets to advance to the final and eventually win the trophy.
The Men in Blue have displayed outstanding form throughout the tournament, remaining unbeaten alongside South Africa. They topped both the group stage and the Super 8 stage, signaling their strength to the opposition teams. Their recent victory against Australia in the Super 8s underscored the depth and skill present in their lineup.
During an episode of ‘Caught and Bold’ on Disney Hotstar, Ishant Sharma expressed his optimism about India’s prospects of winning the T20 World Cup this year. He commended the team’s achievement of winning six matches in the tournament thus far. Ishant also lauded Rohit Sharma for his exceptional performance with the bat against Australia.
“The team’s exceptional performance throughout the tournament has been commendable can be seen in us winning six games in a row. It was a stellar performance by the boys,” Ishant Sharma said on the show.
“Rohit’s knock of 92 off just 41 balls was a masterclass, he completely dismantled the Australian bowlers with other batters also giving him the required support. We perfectly executed our plans,” the tall fast bowler added.
Ishant Sharma – It was enthralling to see India dominating Australia
The 35-year-old fast bowler also showered praise on the contributions of Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah, highlighting their impressive performances in the tournament. Additionally, he commended Rohit Sharma’s leadership as captain and expressed his hope that India would emerge victorious and lift the title this year.
“Our bowlers bowled well with Arshdeep taking three important wickets including that of the dangerous David Warner. Along with batting, Rohit Sharma deserves to get plaudits for his brilliant captaincy against Australia for the trap he set up with Bumrah to get Travis Head out ending his onslaught and getting us over the line,” Ishant said.
“It was enthralling to see India dominating Australia. Hopefully, we will continue the good form and clinch the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup this year,” he added.
Ishant Sharma’s last appearance in an international match was during India’s home Test series against New Zealand in 2021. Subsequently, he has been absent from the national team but participated in IPL 2024 for Delhi Capitals just before the T20 World Cup.
Regarding the current T20 World Cup 2024, India faces a formidable challenge from England at Providence Stadium in Guyana. South Africa has already booked their spot in the final after defeating Afghanistan in the first semi-final.
