by Former captain Sourav Ganguly on Friday tipped the Indian team to end an 11-year title drought with a fearless performance against South Africa in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 final, saying Rohit was instrumental in getting the team to this point. Sharma’s captaincy has contributed significantly. The Indian team is a contender to win the match to be played in Bridgetown, Barbados. The team will be looking to end their world title drought since the 2013 Champions Trophy.
‘Rohit came to Mumbai six months ago…’
Ganguly said at an event in Kolkata, “I am very happy for Rohit Sharma. Such is the cycle of life that six months ago he was not even the captain of Mumbai Indians, now India will play in the World Cup finals under his leadership, the former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has revealed. . Ganguly said, “Rohit has played two World Cup finals. The team’s campaign here has been unbeaten so far. This shows his leadership qualities. I am not surprised by his success because he became the captain when I was the BCCI president. At that time, Virat Kohli did not want to be the captain.
‘Worked hard to make Rohit captain’
He said, “It took a long time to convince him to take on the captaincy because he was not ready for it. We all had to work hard to make him the captain and I am very happy to see the progress of Indian cricket under his leadership, Ganguly said sometimes winning the IPL title is very challenging because the tournament lasts for a long time. Ganguly said, “Rohit has the record of winning five IPL titles, which is a great achievement. Winning the IPL is sometimes more difficult. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying IPL is better than international cricket.
‘I don’t think we will lose the final’
He said, “You have to win 16-17 (12-13) matches to win the IPL. Here you have to win eight-nine matches to win the World Cup. “Winning the World Cup gives more respect and I hope Rohit does that tomorrow.” Ganguly said, “I don’t think he will lose two World Cup finals in seven months. If he loses the two finals under his captaincy in seven months, he will likely jump into the sea as Barbados sail the seas. He led from the front, batted brilliantly and I hope that continues tomorrow. Hopefully, India will finish the campaign with the title. The team should play without fear.
‘Big moment for South Africa’
Speaking on the occasion, Ganguly said that reaching the World Cup final for the first time is a big opportunity for South Africa. “This is a big moment for South African cricket,” he said. Imagine a team that re-entered international cricket in 1992 and took 32 years to play a World Cup final. So, it will be a big opportunity for both the teams.” Star batsman Virat Kohli has not been effective as an opener in this World Cup but Ganguly believes he should continue to do so.
‘Kohli should continue this’
He said, “Kohli should continue to open the innings. He scored 700 runs in the World Cup just seven months ago. He is human and will fail sometimes. You have to accept it. People like Kohli, (Sachin) Tendulkar, (Rahul) Dravid are the institution of Indian cricket. Three-four matches does not make him a weak player. He can do wonders in the final tomorrow.”
‘Vaughan is a very good friend of mine but’
Vaughn also said that the match is being played in the morning keeping in mind the Indian audience, which is giving more advantage to the Indian team. Ganguly said, “Michael Vaughan is a very good friend of mine. I don’t know how ICC helps India win cricket matches by telecasting at 8pm. I don’t know how broadcasting can help you win cricket matches. You have to play on the field and win.”
