India captain Rohit Sharma has called for calm and composure from his team as they prepare to face South Africa in the T20 World Cup final in Barbados.
After securing a commanding 68-run victory over England in the semi-final in Guyana, Rohit and his squad will head to Kensington Oval to compete against the only other unbeaten team in the tournament, South Africa.
While aware of the high stakes, Rohit emphasized the importance of maintaining the mindset that has brought them success throughout the tournament. He aims to end India’s recent ICC tournament drought and capture their second T20 World Cup title, the first since 2007.
“We’ve been very calm as a team,” Rohit said following the semi-final win. “We understand the significance of the final, but it’s crucial for us to stay composed. This approach helps us make good decisions. We need to continue making good decisions throughout the 40 overs. In this game too, we remained steady and didn’t panic. That has been key for us. We recognize the importance of the occasion but must also play good cricket.”
Rohit led the charge with a half-century at the top of the order in the semi-final, while Suryakumar Yadav contributed a crucial 47 runs, helping India post a strong total of 171/7 after being sent in to bat by England’s captain Jos Buttler.
England’s chase never gained momentum, largely due to the effectiveness of India’s spinners. Kuldeep Yadav (3/19), Axar Patel (3/23), and Ravindra Jadeja (0/16) combined to take six wickets, earning praise from Rohit.
“They are exceptional spinners,” Rohit remarked. “In conditions like those, it’s tough for opponents to play their shots. The pressure is on our spinners to execute, but they remained calm and bowled smartly. We discussed after the first innings that the plan was to target the stumps and keep them in play, which they did excellently.”
