'Has done it for so many years' - Rohit Sharma bows down to Virat Kohli after CT 2025 SF heroics
Published - 04 Mar 2025, 11:20 PM | Updated - 04 Mar 2025, 11:39 PM
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The Rohit Sharma-led India National Cricket Team locked horns with the Steve Smith-led Australia National Cricket Team in the first semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
The match between the top two teams in the world - India and Australia - was hosted by the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, March 4.
We wanted to have 6 bowling options and to have batting till number 8 as well - Rohit Sharma
India clinched a stunning 4-wicket win with 11 balls remaining to storm into the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final. Virat Kohli won the Player of the Match award for his heroics as he slammed 84 runs off 98 balls, with 5 fours, and was involved in crucial partnerships with Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, and KL Rahul.
Speaking after the match, Rohit Sharma said that the pitch in Dubai looked better than the previous game and they were calm and composed during the run-chase.
"Till the last ball is bowled, nothing is certain. We had to bat really well to get to that score. The nature of the surface doesn't allow you to play the way we play. Yes we got the runs in the 48th over but we were quite calm and composed in the chase," Rohit Sharma said.
"It looked better. That's been the nature of surfaces here. The one used today played slightly better than the game against New Zealand. It's about understanding the situation and taking it from there. There are a lot of experienced guys in the group. We leave it to them."
Rohit Sharma added that they needed 6 bowling options and batting till No.8 in the team for the competition and credited the selectors for the squad selection. He elaborated:
"We wanted to have 6 bowling options and to have batting till number 8 as well. This is something we discussed while making the squad. Credit to everyone who were involved in making that team. When you have 6 bowling options, you can chose depending on the batters and the matchups. The guys know what is required out of them.
Kohli has done it for us for so many years - Rohit Sharma
While lauding Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma said that he had done well for Team India for over a decade. He stated:
"Kohli has done it for us for so many years. When we were batting we were very calm. We needed the big partnership that Shreyas and Virat had which was very very good. Axar-Virat, Rahul-Virat and the winning partnership was also very good."
Rohit Sharma signed off by saying that he is happy with the form of the players in his team and suggested them to relax ahead of the summit clash.
"Very happy with that to be honest. You want all your guys to be in form before the finals. All these guys have made an impact whenever they have got an opportunity which gives us a lot of confidence going into the finals. We will put our thinking caps on when the time comes," Rohit Sharma said.
"Both are good teams that's why they are in the semis. I want the guys to have some time off and relax because it's a very high pressure tournament and you go through so much emotions in the game so it's good to have some time off. Tomorrow we will try to relax."
How did India perform in their previous ODI match against Australia?
India's last match ODI match against Australia came during the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on November 19.
It is regarded as one of the worst games in the history of Indian cricket as it ended India’s World Cup dream and the Men In Blue lost against Australia in the summit clash after a dominant campaign.
Batting first, Rohit Sharma gave India a flying start, smashing 47 off 31 balls. However, his dismissal to a spectacular catch by Travis Head turned the tide in Australia's favor.
Virat Kohli (54) and KL Rahul (66) attempted to rebuild, but Australia’s disciplined bowling, especially from Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, didn't allow India to score quick runs. The lower order also failed to contribute significantly, leaving India with a below-par total of 240 runs on a slow surface.
While defending, Indian bowlers started on a high as Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami reduced the Aussies to 47/3. However, the Indian bowlers failed to sustain the pressure as Travis Head (137) and Marnus Labuschagne (58*) stitched a match-winning partnership. The dew factor made bowling harder, and Australia easily completed the run-chase and ended India's stellar campaign, leaving fans heartbroken.
