"During the T20 World Cup final, he completed Bumrah's overs...": Former Indian batting coach on Rohit's strategic brilliance in the title match
New Delhi [India], August 19 : Former Indian batting coach Vikram Rathour praised Rohit Sharma, the captain of the T20 World Cup-winning Indian team, for his tactical acumen. Rathour highlighted Rohit's strategic move to conclude Jasprit Bumrah's overs early during the T20 World Cup final against South Africa.
Rathour, who served as the batting coach from 2021 to 2024, a period that included India finishing as runners-up in two ICC World Test Championships and the ICC Cricket World Cup, and ultimately winning the T20 World Cup this year, shared his insights on the podcast "Find a Way with Taruwar Kohli," hosted by former U19 World Cup-winning cricketer Taruwar Kohli.
On the podcast, Rathour noted that while Rohit might forget decisions made at the toss or personal items during travel, he never forgets his game plan. "He might forget whether he has decided to bat or bowl at the toss, or his phone and iPad in the team bus, but he never forgets his game plan. He is very good at it and is a very shrewd tactician," Rathour said.
Rathour described Rohit as a "player's captain," commending his dedication to team meetings and strategies. "He is a player's captain. He is deeply invested in team meetings and strategies. He spends a lot of time with the bowlers and batters, trying to understand their perspectives and investing significant time with the players," Rathour added.
Regarding the decision to end Bumrah's four-over spell by the 18th over in the final, Rathour explained that this move was key to stifling the Proteas' scoring when they were in a strong position, needing 30 runs from 30 balls to chase a target of 177. The final two overs were bowled by Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya, who successfully defended 20 runs, securing a seven-run victory for India.
"He (Rohit) is tactically very good as a captain. In the T20 World Cup final, he finished Bumrah's over early. Many might have questioned that decision, but it set us up so that only 16 runs were needed in the last over. His on-field tactical decisions are spot on. From the outside, it can be surprising, but you understand the strategy after the fact," Rathour concluded.
India broke their 11-year ICC trophy drought with a seven-run win over South Africa in the final at Barbados on June 29. Virat Kohli’s 76, Axar Patel’s 47, and effective bowling by Hardik Pandya (3/20) and Jasprit Bumrah (2/18) led India to a total of 176/7, which proved sufficient as they restricted South Africa to 169/8.