"Retires from T20i" - Rohit Sharma press conference today Final match | Virat Kohli | Aiden Markram

Rohit Sharma (India Captain) and Aiden Markram (South Africa Captain) post-match Press Conference - 29th June 2024
Reporter:]
If you are asked one factor that led to the emergence of the champions - what would it be? And also - how was it to gift this victory to Rahul Dravid?
[Rohit Sharma:]
HE - more than any one of us, I think he deserved that trophy. What he has done for Indian cricket for the past 20-25 years, I think this was the only thing that was left in his cabinet. I am very happy from all of us on behalf of the entire team that we could actually do this for him. You saw how proud he was and how excited he was. Really grateful to the occasion for this to happen as well.
In a game like this, there are a lot of turnarounds. I cannot single out one or two aspects of the game, but looking at where the game was when four or five overs were left, obviously that wicket of Klassen when Hardik took that wicket, that was actually very crucial from our point of view. And then again, Miller's wicket at the back in the last over, that catch of Surya of Hardik's bowling was again superb.
But again, you can't forget What the batters did with the bat, Virat getting that runs, Axar playing that part, and then eventually us finishing off with the score that we finished. And then obviously when we started with the ball, Bumrah, Arshdeep were superb. I don't know how much I can talk about Bumrah. Obviously, we've been seeing this with him for such a long time now. Whenever he has ball in hands, he tends to create magic for us every time. 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.
[Reporter:]
Congratulations and you have had so many moments of glory in your career and disappointments also 2007 and 2008 CB series, 2013 and Australia Test series. Of course, 2011 you could not be part of the World Cup and of course Ahmedabad. Looking back, all these things, do you consider this as the greatest moment of your career? And second, 30 of 30 balls and 6 wickets, how could you motivate the players to, you can pull it off?
[Rohit Sharma:]
This has to be the greatest time I can say that. It's only because how desperately I wanted to win this. So, all the runs, all the runs that I've scored in all these years, I think it does matter, but I'm not big on stats and all of that. I think winning games for India, winning trophies for India, that is what I look forward to all the time. And having this now right beside me probably has to be, I don't know, honestly, I don't know if it's the greatest or what but it is definitely one of the greatest, I can say that - and when I have to look back at certain moments in the game as well, they were really playing well.
Every time we had the ball in hand, whether we got wickets or we didn't get wickets, we wanted to keep fighting. Keep fighting whether we are ahead in the game or behind in the game, we wanted to keep fighting because the moments like this will never come again. This is the final.
[Reporter:]
Rohit, since coming to the West Indies, India has batted first in all previous games coming into the final. Was that like a templated thing, or you thought the conditions deserved that? Or did you think scoreboard pressure mattered in the final? Or did all of this contribute to batting first here also?
[Rohit Sharma:]
I think I'm a believer of just having runs on the board in big games. That's how my mind works. It is not necessary that everyone thinks like that in the team. But I have a decision to make and I made it very clear that no matter how the pitch is, whatever it is, we have to try and put runs on the board and then fight it out. You have the talent in your bowling and I have seen what the guys have done with the ball. So, I had that confidence that whatever score we have, we can try and defend it. And that's exactly what happened as well.
[Reporter:]
So close, but exactly where did you, is it the death over bowling or the splendid catching by the Indians, where did you miss out?
[Aiden Markram:]
It's not a specific moment, it's an overall game of 40 overs and if you look at a couple of moments potentially where you could have done better but all in all still proud of the performance we put together today in a final and to get close like that is something I'm just proud of.
[Reporter:]
Can you put in a few words of how tough that was to take?
[Aiden Markram:]
I don't think I can say them yet to be honest but yeah, it's tough. This group's a great bunch of people. In my opinion, they deserve really good things to go their way. I had a really good feeling about this competition before we came here and as the competition went on, that feeling got stronger and stronger.
For more cricket updates from us:
WEBSITE: cric-mate.com
MEDIA SUPPORT: Witbuz.com
#T20WorldCup2024 #rohitsharma #viratkohli