After India secured a 70-run victory over New Zealand, breaking the semifinal jinx, former England captain Nasser Hussain praised skipper Rohit Sharma as the ‘real hero’ of the team. Hussain disclosed the conversation between Rohit and Dinesh Karthik following the T20 World Cup 2022 semifinal loss to England in Adelaide.
Hussain stated on Sky Sports’ post-match show at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai that the headlines would focus on (Virat) Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Mohammed Shami, but he emphasized that the genuine hero of this Indian side, the man who has changed the culture of the team, was Rohit Sharma.
He continued, recalling Rohit’s words to Karthik after the Adelaide semifinal loss, expressing the need for change.
“The headlines tomorrow will be about (Virat) Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Mohammed Shami but the genuine hero of this Indian side, the actual man who has changed the culture of this Indian side was Rohit Sharma. We have DK with us and he says after that semifinal in Adelaide where they played meek, timid cricket, plauded along in the T20 semifinal, got below par score and England knocked them down, none down and won by 10 wickets, Rohit Sharma told Dinesh Karthik that ‘we’ve to change, we need a change,” Hussain said.
Acknowledging Rohit’s impact, Hussain emphasized that it was the first time they were tested, questioning if the team could play fearless cricket in a knockout game. He highlighted that the skipper went out and showed everyone in the dressing room that they were going to carry on exactly the same way. Hussain lauded Rohit’s 29-ball 47 that set the tone after winning the toss and choosing to bat against Kane Williamson’s side.
Rohit has been a standout performer in the ongoing World Cup, amassing 550 runs from 10 innings at an average of 55, including one century and three fifties, with a striking rate of 124.15.
In the post-match presentation, Rohit Sharma expressed satisfaction with the overall batting performance, stating, “The top five-six batters, they have made it count. Very pleased with what Iyer has done in this tournament. Gill, the way he batted upfront was brilliant. Unfortunately, he had to return back. Kohli, as usual, was brilliant, played his trademark innings and got to his landmark. All in all, the batting was superb. That’s the template we want to move with.”
Regarding the Player of the Match, Shami, for his seven-wicket haul, played a pivotal role in bowling out New Zealand for 327 in the penultimate over.
