June 25th 2024.
In the recent T20 World Cup match against Australia, India's skipper Rohit Sharma fell just short of a potential record-breaking hundred. However, he made it clear that personal milestones do not hold much significance to him. For Rohit, the only goal while batting is to put the bowlers under pressure by hitting them all over the field.
His impressive knock of 92 runs off just 41 deliveries led India to a 24-run victory over the former champions. The current record for the fastest T20 World Cup hundred is held by West Indian batsman Chris Gayle, who achieved it in 47 deliveries during the 2016 edition. Rohit was rightfully named the player of the match for his memorable performance, which included eight sixes and seven fours.
When asked about his strategy during the match, the 37-year-old shared that his focus was solely on maintaining the tempo of the game. He said, "It was a good pitch and I wanted to back myself and play those kinds of shots. I've been trying to do that for a few years now, and I'm glad it paid off today. My main aim was to keep the same tempo throughout, rather than focusing on getting a fifty or a hundred."
He went on to explain, "Of course, scoring big runs is important, but what matters more is putting the bowlers under pressure. And to do that, you need to have a big score. I tried to access all sides of the field, not just one, to keep the bowlers guessing."
Rohit admitted that the victory was not an easy feat for India and that he had to adjust his batting style to counter the 2021 champions. After his opening partner Virat Kohli was dismissed for a duck, Rohit had to play more strokes on the off side to combat the strong breeze that was blowing across the ground.
"I noticed the wind from the very first over and knew it would play a role in the game. So, I had to open up the off side as well to counter the bowlers who were bowling against the breeze," he said. "When you keep an open mind and think beyond just one shot, you can access all areas of the field and score runs in different directions."
Reflecting on the team's overall performance, Rohit was pleased with how they handled the challenging conditions and adapted to the situation. He said, "When you're playing on grounds like this where the wind is a factor, anything can happen. But we used the conditions to our advantage and it was great to see how we managed to take wickets while also controlling the game."
The captain also praised wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who took two crucial wickets in the match. He revealed that the team knew Kuldeep would excel in the West Indies after facing similar seamer-friendly conditions in the United States. "We understand Kuldeep's strengths and we knew he would play a big role later in the tournament. His performance today was a testament to that," Rohit said.
As India gears up for the semifinal against England on June 27, Rohit has no plans of changing the team's approach. He said, "We don't want to do anything differently. We want to play with the same mindset, understand each individual's role in different situations, and play freely. This has been our consistent approach so far, and we will continue to do the same in the semifinals. We are focused on our own game and will take on any challenge that comes our way."
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