'Rohit Sharma selfless captain': Shoaib Akhtar left speechless, claims 'was hurt last year when India could not win WC'

When rain struck before the toss on Thursday, many Indian fans were given nightmares of their 2019 World Cup semi-final defeat against New Zealand where the weather gods had a huge role to play. But this time it was different, as India sealed a commanding 68-run win against England in their T20 World Cup 2024 semi-final, getting revenge for their semis defeat in the previous edition.

When Virat Kohli left for nine runs off nine balls in the third over, it looked like India were in danger of a collapse. But captain Rohit Sharma led his side with a battling half-century, smacking 57 runs off 39 balls as India posted 171/7 in 20 overs.

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During this tournament, India have been saved by their in-form bowlers, who have destroyed opponents with ease and it was the same story against England. Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel returned with figures of 3/19, 3/23 respectively as England were bowled out for 103 in 16.4 overs, in their chase of 172 runs. Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah took two wickets.

What did Shoaib Akhtar say about Rohit Sharma?

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Pakistan legend Shoaib Akhtar was visibly impressed with Rohit's captaincy and his impact in USA and West Indies.

"I was always in favour of India winning the tournament. I was hurt last year when India could not win the World Cup as they should not have lost it because they deserved to win," he said.

"Rohit Sharma has repeatedly said he wants to make an impact and win the trophy and so, deserves to win the cup. He is a big player, and it should end on a big note. He is a selfless captain, plays for the team and is a complete batter," he further added.

Going into the final against South Africa, Rohit's batting will be key in India's plans. With Kohli's poor form, the former captain won't be expected to play the anchor role, which means Rohit will need to play his shots to keep the scoreboard ticking and also avoid losing his wicket in the powerplay. In seven games, Rohit has smacked 248 runs at an average of 41.33 and 155.97 strike rate, packed with three half-centuries. Against Australia in the Super 8 stage, he got his highscore of 92.