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Former India cricketer Zaheer Khan praised Rohit Sharma for his outstanding captaincy during the T20 World Cup 2024 semi-final against England. He highlighted Rohit’s adept handling of the bowlers as a key factor in India’s victory at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. Rohit Sharma, leading by example, contributed a crucial 57 runs with the bat, setting a strong foundation for India’s total of 171 runs.
Following his stellar batting performance, Rohit Sharma’s strategic brilliance came to the fore as he effectively managed the bowlers, a move that Zaheer Khan described as turning everything into gold. Under Rohit’s guidance, the Indian bowlers dominated the English batsmen, with spinners Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav claiming three wickets each. This collective effort resulted in England being dismissed for just 101 runs, securing India a commanding 68-run victory and a place in the T20 World Cup 2024 final.
Zaheer Khan, speaking on Cricbuzz, commended Rohit Sharma’s tactical acumen, noting his keen understanding of the game’s dynamics and his effective utilization of key players like Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah throughout the tournament.
“He is phenomenal with that. You know, we’ve seen it over the years now. He’s got the pulse. He catches the pulse of the game very nicely. And that is something that he did today as well. The fact that I mentioned earlier, Hardik was used straight in the 16th over. So, he was smart with knowing that, okay, today’s pitch, spinners are going to come into play.
“So, let’s get the spinners early in the game, Axar, he’s been using in the powerplay. But his pattern up front has become a little more aggressive than what he has been so far. He used to hold Bumrah back maybe three overs after the powerplay. This World Cup, he’s been using him up front with the new ball one over and then to finish the powerplay and then setting the game up that way, which has become a huge advantage.”
According to Zaheer Khan, Rohit Sharma demonstrated a keen sense of the game during the match against England. Zaheer highlighted Rohit’s astute decisions, particularly in his management of the bowling unit, where he persisted with the spinners even as wickets began to fall. He elaborated on Rohit Sharma’s ability to read the situation and make effective changes that contributed significantly to India’s performance in the game.
“And also today, he knew that Jadeja also will come into play later. And 10 or 12 overs also of spin is possible to be squeezed in on this surface and to create that pressure to get the dot balls in. So, he was spot on with all those changes. Wickets were falling, so that just aided his thought process and he just continued with that. But generally, he’s got a good feel of the game.”
Under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, Team India has advanced to the final of the T20 World Cup 2024. They are set to face South Africa in the championship match scheduled for Saturday, June 29th, at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.
