NEW DELHI: A year after lifting the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup trophy in Barbados, Rohit Sharma walked down memory lane, reliving one of the most defining moments of India’s historic win over South Africa — Virat Kohli’s gritty half-century and his game-changing partnership with Axar Patel.“If you hit three boundaries in the first over, then obviously, you’ve started off well,” Rohit said, reflecting on the high-pressure start to the final. “And that’s exactly what every cricketer wants—it helps settle the nerves.”For Rohit, Kohli’s poise under pressure wasn’t just about his shot-making, but a reflection of his years of experience playing for India. “The experience of playing for India over so many years also helps in those moments. You learn to control your emotions, manage your thoughts, and stay in the present. I’m sure even he (Virat) was thinking, ‘Today is the day—I need to stay focused and not worry about what happened in the past.’”Kohli rose to the occasion when it mattered most—anchoring India’s innings with a match-defining 76 and putting together a crucial partnership with Axar Patel after India lost three quick wickets.“When we lost those three wickets up front, there were definitely nerves inside the dressing room. I was panicking—I wasn’t comfortable,” Rohit admitted.
“I remember thinking, ‘We’ve let them into the game.’ But in the back of my mind, I always had belief in our lower middle order—positions 5, 6, 7, and 8. They hadn’t batted much in the tournament, but whenever they got the opportunity, they made it count.”Rohit reserved special praise for Axar Patel, whose 47 off 31 balls was instrumental in tilting the momentum. “Not many people are talking about Axar’s knock, but that innings was a real game-changer,” he said. “To score 47 off 31 balls at that stage was incredibly crucial.”The Indian captain lauded Kohli for playing the anchor role to perfection, allowing the rest of the batting lineup to play freely.
“We needed someone to bat through the innings, and Virat did that job perfectly. It was really important for someone to anchor the innings, and he did it brilliantly. That allowed Shivam, Axar, and Hardik to come in and play their roles with freedom—and that’s exactly what they did.”In what was a perfect farewell from T20 internationals for both Rohit and Kohli, the final at Kensington Oval became a lasting memory of composure, experience, and team effort—and at the heart of it stood Virat Kohli, delivering when India needed him most.
