India captain Rohit Sharma found a unique way to celebrate the team’s thrilling victory in the T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa on Saturday. The match, held in Barbados, saw India secure a nervy win, ending the team’s 11-year wait for an ICC title. Amidst the tears of joy and jubilation in the Indian camp, Rohit decided to make the moment unforgettable by eating some sand from the pitch where he clinched the ICC title as captain.
In a video shared by the ICC, Rohit Sharma can be seen lifting sand from the Barbados pitch and placing it in his mouth. The gesture symbolised the deep emotional connection he felt with the ground where he achieved this monumental victory. The video quickly went viral, capturing the hearts of cricket fans worldwide.
What a great gesture by Rohit Sharma ❤️
And there as Aussies who were putting legs on trophyRohit was eating the sand of the pitch ❤️
Love you captain #RohitShamra #RohitSharma #indiawin #indiawins #ICCMensT20WorldCup2024 #ViratKohli #INDvsSA2024 pic.twitter.com/AytFanf73G— xmenn (@HinduForever00) June 30, 2024
Following the match, Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from T20 internationals during the post-match press conference, mirroring a similar announcement made earlier by Virat Kohli.
“This was my last game as well,” Rohit stated, receiving a rousing applause from the media present. “I’ve enjoyed it since the time I started playing this format. No better time to say goodbye to this format. I’ve loved every moment of this. This is what I wanted – I wanted to win the cup.”
Rohit also took the opportunity to express his gratitude towards head coach Rahul Dravid, who concluded his coaching stint with this triumph.
“What he has done for Indian cricket for the past 20, 25 years, this was the only thing left. I am very happy on behalf of the entire team that we could do this for him,” Rohit said.
Also Read: Rohit Sharma announces retirement from T20Is after Virat’s ‘my last T20 World Cup’ announcement
He also praised bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, acknowledging their crucial contributions to the team’s success.
“I am very lucky to have players like this in my squad, players who are playing for me and Team India – really, really grateful and thankful as well,” he added.
Reflecting on his career, Rohit described the victory as the pinnacle of his cricketing journey.
“This has to be the greatest time. I can say that. It’s only because of how desperately I wanted to win this. All the runs that I’ve scored in all these years, it does matter but I’m not big on stats and all of that. Winning games for India, winning trophies for India – that is what I look forward to all the time,” Rohit concluded.
As India celebrates this historic win, Rohit’s heartfelt actions and words have etched this victory into the annals of cricket history, marking the end of an era and the beginning of new aspirations for Indian cricket.
