India is undergoing a transition phase, with senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and R Ashwin nearing the end of their illustrious careers. The leadership has shifted to the next generation, with Suryakumar Yadav already appointed as the new T20I captain. In his final years as a cricketer, Rohit reassured fans not to worry, sharing a special message during the inauguration of his cricket academy in Rashin, Karjat, Ahmednagar district.
Rohit stated, “I am standing before you now, opening this academy. I can guarantee that the next Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Jasprit Bumrah will come from here.”
Reflecting on his T20 World Cup win this year, Rohit said, “Our main goal was to win the World Cup. Once we achieved that, fir jaan mein jaan aayi (I felt alive again).”
In the T20 World Cup final, India faced South Africa and set a target of 177. Despite South Africa’s early collapse at 12/2, a 58-run partnership between Quinton de Kock and Tristan Stubbs revived their innings, with Heinrich Klaasen’s half-century adding pressure. However, Arshdeep Singh (2/18) and Hardik Pandya (3/20) turned the tide in the death overs, limiting South Africa to 169/8 in 20 overs.
Earlier, India won the toss and chose to bat but stumbled at 34/4. Virat Kohli (76) and Axar Patel (47) mounted a counterattack, followed by Kohli’s partnership with Shivam Dube, allowing India to post 176/7.
Rohit recently played in India’s second Test match against Bangladesh in Kanpur, where India won by seven wickets, clinching a 2-0 series victory. India will next face Bangladesh in a three-match T20I series starting October 6.
