"He Will probably jump into the Barbados ocean if he loses two finals under his captaincy"- Sourav Ganguly on Rohit Sharma ahead of 2024 T20 WC final
Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly felt current skipper Rohit Sharma would feel distraught if Team India lost a second World Cup final in seven months under him ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup finale. India will take on South Africa in the title clash in Barbados on June 29.
Like the 2023 ODI World Cup, the Men in Blue have gone through the tournament unbeaten until the final. However, they suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Australia in the summit clash in the 50-over World Cup, a fate they would be desperate to avoid on this occasion.
Speaking to reporters after being roped in as the brand ambassador of Veedol, Ganguly said as quoted by NDTV:
"I don't think he can lose two World Cup finals in seven (six) months. He will probably jump into the Barbados ocean if he loses two finals under his captaincy in seven months. He has led from the front, batted brilliantly, and I hope it continues tomorrow."
He further praised Rohit Sharma for his achievements as captain, especially in the IPL.
"Rohit has the record of winning five IPL titles, which is a huge achievement. Winning an IPL sometimes is more difficult. Don't misquote me, I'm not saying IPL is better than international cricket. But you have to win 16-17 (12-13) matches to win an IPL; here you need to win 8-9 matches to win a World Cup. The honor is more in winning the World Cup, and I hope Rohit does it tomorrow,"
Rohit took over as Mumbai Indians (MI) in 2013 and led the franchise to five titles before being replaced by Hardik Pandya at the helm for the 2024 season.
As the Indian skipper, he led the side to the 2022 T20 World Cup semifinal, followed by the World Test Championship and ODI World Cup final last year.
"They have been the best side of the competition" - Sourav Ganguly
Sourav Ganguly hailed India as the best side of the 2024 T20 World Cup and hoped they would finish on the right side of the final against South Africa.
While the Men in Blue have won all seven completed games thus far in the tournament, the Proteas have also been undefeated, winning eight out of eight.
"They have been the best side of the competition. I wish them luck, I wish they win. Hope they have a little bit of luck tomorrow because that is required to win big tournaments. Hope India finishes on the right side, and they should play with freedom," said Ganguly.
Despite India's disappointing endings to ICC events, Ganguly felt the side consistently reaching the final stages was admirable.
"I look at it differently. At least we are getting to the finals, we can only win once we get to the final. The positive thing is India is not getting eliminated. Secondly, they are dominating. You saw the World Cup in India seven months ago; they were the best side in the competition, although they lost to Australia in the final. They were a better side than Australia right through the tournament; they just had one bad day," concluded Ganguly.
India last won an ICC event in the 2013 Champions Trophy in England, capping off a six-year period where they also triumphed in the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup.