Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya faced South Africa in the T20 World Cup final, and they had two overs remaining. They needed to defend 20 runs.
Referring to Indian captain Rohit Sharma as a “shrewd tactician” and praising his decision to halt Jasprit Bumrah’s overs early in the T20 World Cup match against South Africa, former Indian batting coach Vikram Rathour showered accolades on the winner of the tournament. Speaking on Taruwar Kohli’s podcast, “Find a Way with Taruwar Kohli,” Rathour had previously worked as a batting coach for Men in Blue from 2021 to 2024. During that time, India placed second in two ICC World Test Championships, second in the domestic ICC Cricket World Cup last year, and finally first in the T20 tournament after defeating Proteas this year.
According to Vikram, who was speaking on the podcast, Rohit may forget his choices after winning the toss or his belongings when traveling, but he never forgets his strategy.
“He never forgets his gameplan, even if he could forget whether he chose to bowl or bat at the toss or to leave his phone and iPad in the team bus. Rathour remarked, “He is a highly astute tactician and very adept at it.
Rohit was praised by the former batting coach, who referred to him as a “player’s captain” for devoting so much time and effort to team meetings and planning.
He is the captain of a team. With the players, he has an investment. This level of commitment to team discussions and tactics is something I have never seen in a captain. He studies the team’s approach for a long time. His presence is evident in the meetings for hitters and bowlers. To attempt and comprehend the thoughts of the hitters and bowlers, he wants to sit with them. With the players, he spends a lot of time,” Rathour remarked.
When Proteas needed to score thirty runs from thirty balls to chase 177, Vikram stated that delivering the ball early to Bumrah helped constrict their run flow. This was in reference to ending Bumrah’s four-over spell by the eighteenth over of the match.
Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya bowled the last two overs, leaving them with 20 runs to defend. The task was accomplished by Arshdeep and Hardik, who gave India a seven-run victory.
“As a captain, Rohit is incredibly skilled tactically. He ended Bumrah’s innings early in the T20 World Cup final. That choice may have been questioned by many, but it left us in a position where 16 was required in the final over. He makes excellent tactical choices when playing the game. It surprises you as a coach as well when you’re sitting outside. Rahtour said, “From the outside, we occasionally wonder what he is doing, but eventually you realize what he has done.”
Virat Kohli (76), Axar Patel (47), Hardik Pandya (3/20), and Jasprit Bumrah (2/18) were the main players in Men in Blue’s seven-run victory over South Africa in the Barbados final on June 29, ending India’s eleven-year ICC trophy drought. With the help of Virat’s brilliant knock, India reached 176/7 in 20 overs, while Proteas was restricted to 169/8 in 20 overs by Bumrah and Pandya’s pace-choking attack, which allowed India to rescue the match from a losing situation.
