Rohit Sharma reveals how Pant helped India win the T20 World Cup 2024

Everyone remembers Suryakumar Yadav taking the catch and the shouts of long-on in the Hindi commentary box during the T20 World Cup 2024 final. Most people also remember the redemption of Hardik Pandya, who became a hero of the final after a horrid showing in the IPL. 

And almost no one can forget Jasprit Bumrah’s spell at the death which put pressure on David Miller and forced him to commit a mistake eventually. 

However, India skipper Rohit Sharma reminded people of something that they would have never known if he had not disclosed it on the Kapil Sharma Show recently. 

It was after South Africa had reached 147/4 after 15 overs, needing run-a-ball with two set batters Heinrich Klaasen and Miller at the crease that India’s wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, who was making a comeback to the national team after a near-death experience during a car accident one and a half years ago, pulled out the oldest trick in the hat to try and help his team.

“When South Africa needed 30 runs off 30 balls, just before that, there was a small break. Pant used his intelligence to pause the game - he had a knee injury, so he had his knee taped, which helped slow down the game - because the game was fast-paced, and at that moment, all a batter wants is the ball to be bowled quickly. 

But we had to break the rhythm. As I was setting the field and talking to bowlers, suddenly I saw Pant fall on the ground,” Rohit revealed during a fun-filled episode of the Kapil Sharma Show on Netflix. 

“The physiotherapist had arrived and was taping his knee. Klassen was waiting for the match to start again. I am not saying it’s the only reason, but it could be one of them - Pant Sahab used his smarts and things worked out in our favour,” added the Indian skipper who ended the ICC draught for a nation of 1.5 billion people by bringing a World Cup trophy home after a gap of 13 years. 

From there on, the memory is sharp in every Indian fan’s mind and maybe South African too, as India won a match they never looked like winning and Proteas, yet again, choked at an important moment in their cricketing history.

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