Rohit Sharma Reveals Fears During T20 World Cup Final, Admits Pant's 'Injury' Was a Tactical Move

Rohit Sharma Reveals Initial Fears Over Rishabh Pant's Injury During T20 World Cup Final

June 29, 2024, marks the anniversary of India's triumphant victory in the T20 World Cup, ending an 11-year wait for an ICC title. The nail-biting final against South Africa in Barbados saw India, led by Rohit Sharma, clinch the title by a narrow seven runs.

Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant (Agency Photos)

One of the most talked-about moments during South Africa's chase involved Rishabh Pant. With the Proteas needing 30 runs from 30 balls, Pant suddenly went down, seemingly clutching his knee in discomfort, halting play. This raised concerns, particularly given Pant's recovery from a severe car accident in 2022.

Now, a year later, Rohit Sharma has shared his perspective on that incident, admitting his initial fears.

"See, Hardik has come to bowl there. So, we were discussing with Hardik what to do. I didn't know what had happened before. I genuinely thought that something had happened to him. The accident he had, I thought he was just trying to. But actually, it was just to stop the game a little bit. The momentum was with them. So, it was very important to break that. So, I think we went back to that. Eventually, Hardik dismissed Klaasen,” Rohit told Star Sports.

Previously, on The Great Indian Kapil Show, Rohit highlighted Pant's quick thinking in helping the team regain composure: “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 fallen 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.”

India’s victory not only ended their ICC trophy drought but also marked an emotional moment for veterans Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, and coach Rahul Dravid. A year later, Pant’s "injury" remains an iconic and debated moment of that memorable final.