Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar was impressed seeing how Indian captain Rohit Sharma batted against Australia in their T20 World Cup Super 8 match in St. Lucia on Monday, June 24. Rohit scored a stunning 92 runs off just 41 balls with seven boundaries and eight sixes.
In a video on his YouTube channel, Shoaib Akhtar said, “Rohit Sharma did exactly what he should have done. What incredible intent did he bat with! Kya usne phainti lagayi hai Mitchell Starc ki!(How well did he smash Mitchell Starc!). This is how true leaders play. They play selflessly and want play for the team and for the country and want to win. This is how his intent has been for the past year.”
However, Akhtar also praised Rohit for not slowing down to score for his hundred and for playing at the same tempo throughout his innings as well. Rohit’s knock helped India post a massive total of 205/5. He was also baffled to see Australia win the toss and opt to bowl
first despite having an idea that the pitch may get slow as the day game progressed as well.
“Poor decision-making by Australia. When you have already been smashed by Afghanistan, you are giving them the license that ‘come please hit us.’ When you take the pace off the ball, it grips into the surface and big-hitting is not easy as the pitch gets slower. But you are giving pace. Poor decision-making from Mitchell Starc,” he again said.
Shoaib Akhtar also wants India to win the T20 World Cup 2024.
He added, “Well done India, this is your World Cup now. You should win this and the World Cup should stay in the subcontinent. You should have won the previous too and this too. You deserve it one hundred percent. My support is with you. Rohit’s intent is good and his conscience is clear. He deserves to lift the trophy. What a comprehensive win for India. They had been going through depression after they lost a World Cup that they should have won. They had lost to Australia in the final and that depression turned into obsession. They wanted to hit back at Australia.”
Meanwhile, former India opener Virender Sehwag was mighty impressed with Rohit Sharma’s knock as well.
“I have never seen better entertainment than this in this World Cup. I was expecting that he would be at the crease for just the first six overs. But he batted even after the powerplay, and look what he did. He made our hearts happy, what more do you want? We played the 2011 World Cup for Sachin Tendulkar. So, this T20 World Cup can be for Rahul Dravid. At least as a coach he gets to win the World Cup and get the badge of being a World Cup winner, which he didn’t get as a player,” he stated.
