Rohit Sharma recently revealed that wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant did a smart thing in the final of T20 World Cup which drew South Africa off from their game during the T20 World Cup 2024 final. At that time, South Africa required 30 runs off 30 balls and a all-guns-blazing finish on cards. Pant halted the match momentarily as he stated he hurt his knee and due to which the physio on field came to look after him. Rohit was of the opinion that this break brought the rhythm of the game down and ultimately helped India win the trophy. As a response to the views of Rohit, Pant admitted to having intentionally asking the physio to take their time amid the incident.
Rishabh Pant On ‘Fake Injury’ In T20 WC Final
“I was thinking about this. Because suddenly the momentum shifted. There were a lot of runs in 2-3 overs. So, I was thinking, when will this moment come again when you are playing in a World Cup final. So, I was telling the physio, that you take your time, keep wasting the time.”
RISHABH PANT – THE MOMENTUM BREAKER…!!! 😄👌
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) October 12, 2024
Pant narrated the story behind his injury during the T20 World Cup final when SA needed 26 from 24. [Star Sports] pic.twitter.com/7AeyHAnzdF
“He was asking me if I was okay. I told him I’m just acting. Sometimes in such a match situation, I am not saying that it works every time, But sometimes it works. And if it works in such a moment, you want nothing else,” Rishabh Pant said in the viral video.
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Rohit Sharma On How Rishabh Pant Broke South Africa’s Momentum
What Rohit Sharma said on Kapil Sharma’s show: “When South Africa needed 30 runs off 30 balls, just before that, there was a small break. Pant used his intelligence to pause the game – he had a knee injury, so he had his knee taped, which helped slow down the game – because the game was fast-paced, and at that moment, all a batter wants is the ball to be bowled quickly. But we had to break the rhythm. As I was setting the field and talking to bowlers, suddenly I saw Pant fall on the ground. The physiotherapist had arrived and was taping his knee. Klassen was waiting for the match to start again. I am not saying it’s the only reason, but it could be one of them – Pant Sahab used his smarts and things worked out in our favour,” he said.
IND Vs SA, T20 WC Final: Men In Blue Register A Historic Win– As It Happened
India edged South Africa by 7 runs in thriller at the T20 World Cup 2024 final at Kensington Oval, Barbados on Saturday securing their first title under the banner of the ICC in 11 years. In the immediate aftermath of the historic triumph, Virat Kohli also declared that he is retiring from T20 Internationals.
Coming out to field, India were defending 176/7, and the South Africans needed 30 off 30 with Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller on the crease. A miracle was needed, but Rohit Sharma’s team did produce it. Jasprit Bumrah started with just four runs from his over, and in Hardik Pandya’s over, he had Klaasen’s wicket with his tight bowling.
Bumrah then bowled another excellent over, giving away only two runs and took the all-important wicket of Marco Jansen. Arshdeep Singh bowled the perfect penultimate over that went for only four runs. In the last over, Hardik Pandya started quite early when Miller got caught out with a stunning catch from long-off by Suryakumar Yadav. India kept their nerves and won the match by seven runs.
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Virat Kohli earlier was the mainstay of the innings with a well-timed 76 off 59 balls as India tallied their highest total in a men’s T20 World Cup final. A match-winning 72-run stand between Kohli and Axar Patel came as the only redemption point for India after it was struggling at 34 for 3 in just 4.3 overs. Axar played crucially with 47 off 31 balls, and the partnership helped to take the game to a competitive total.
