Rohit reveals Pant’s smart tactic in T20 World Cup final triumph

India captain Rohit Sharma has revealed how a clever strategy deployed by wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant played a key role in India’s thrilling seven-run win over South Africa in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. Rohit, appearing on Netflix’s popular show The Great Indian Kapil Show alongside teammates Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, and Arshdeep Singh, recounted the thrilling moments of the final.
“They had a lot of wickets left and set batters were on the group. We were feeling the tension, we were scared as well, but a captain needs to have a strong face at that moment. No one knows this but when 30 were needed in 30 [26 in 24], there was a small break. Rishabh Pant used his brains and stopped the game, saying he has a niggle in his knee and started taping it,” Rohit said.
IND v SA, T20 World Cup Final
He continued: “At that moment, the batter wants the ball to be bowled quickly because he is in flow. We needed to break the rhythm. I was setting the field, talking to the bowler and then I saw Pant on the ground, the physio was there and Klaasen was waiting for resumption. I’m not saying that was the reason for the win, but it could be. Pant used his brains and we won.”
Virat Kohli’s first fifty of the T20 World Cup helped India post a competitive total of 176 for 7 in the Barbados final, with South Africa looking strong in their chase. Despite losing early wickets, South Africa fought back to reach 151 for 4 after 16 overs, needing only 26 runs from the last 24 balls, with several set batters still at the crease. Pant, aware of the mounting pressure, executed a smart ploy.
Before the 17th over began, Pant suddenly appeared to be suffering from a knee niggle, and he called for the physio to attend to him on the field. This resulted in a brief delay, breaking the rhythm of South African batter Heinrich Klaasen, who was in fine form, having smashed a quickfire 52 from just 27 balls. Once play resumed, India struck gold immediately as Hardik Pandya dismissed Klaasen with the first ball of the over, a critical breakthrough that helped turn the tide in India’s favor. South Africa, who had looked well on course to clinch the title, faltered in the final overs, eventually falling short by seven runs, handing India their long-awaited ICC trophy.