Rohit Sharma Opens Up: “I Was Panicking” During T20 World Cup Final

Nearly a year after India’s T20 World Cup win, captain Rohit Sharma is finally talking about what was going through his head during that nerve-wracking final. Speaking honestly, he admitted he was panicking when the team slumped to 34 for 3 against South Africa in Barbados.

 

The mood shifted when Virat Kohli and Axar Patel came together. Kohli played a classic anchor role with 76 off 59, but Rohit singled out Axar’s quickfire 47 off 31 as the “game-changing” moment that turned the tide. “People haven’t talked enough about it,” he said. “That knock changed everything.”

 

India posted 176, but South Africa seemed in control during their chase—until Bumrah and Hardik stepped in. Bumrah’s late spell tightened the screws, and Hardik bowled the perfect delivery to remove Heinrich Klaasen at a critical point.

 

The most dramatic moment? That final-over catch by Suryakumar Yadav on the boundary to dismiss Miller. It sealed a 7-run win and brought India its first ICC trophy in over a decade.

 

Rohit said the team had been obsessed with this goal for months. “Every day we talked about how to win the World Cup. That’s why it felt so emotional. Everyone had poured everything into it.”

 

Sources: India TV News, The Tribune, Times Now