Indian captain Rohit Sharma has joined an exclusive group of captains. This comes after his match-winning performance in the Champions Trophy final against New Zealand in Dubai on Sunday. Rohit is now the fourth captain and second Indian to win the Player of the Match award in an away Men’s ICC tournament final.
He is now in the company of Clive Lloyd (West Indies, CWC 1975), Ricky Ponting (Australia, CWC 2003), and MS Dhoni (India, CWC 2011). Rohit’s powerful batting was key to overcoming New Zealand’s 251-run target. He played in front of a packed crowd at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Rohit displayed impressive power hitting against New Zealand’s bowlers. He scored a crucial 76 runs off 83 balls, putting India in a strong position to win.
Before getting out, Rohit’s aggressive play had already done significant damage, making it hard for New Zealand to recover.
His excellent performance was enjoyed by many fans as India secured a four-wicket victory. Rohit was named Player of the Match, and India celebrated their success.
In the post-match press conference, Rohit explained his approach. He said he focused on scoring runs in the powerplay, as it becomes harder to score later in the innings when fielders spread out and spinners bowl.
Despite wickets falling at the other end, Rohit kept up the scoring. He used his experience to guide the team during the chase. When runs slowed down in the middle overs, Rohit took responsibility to keep the scoreboard moving.
He eventually got stumped trying to attack. However, his teammates continued the fight and ensured India won the trophy.
Rohit mentioned that it’s important to take risks when batting second on a slow pitch. He doesn’t believe in sticking to a fixed batting approach.
