"'It's alright, you bowled your best'" - Axar Patel on how Rohit Sharma provided him confidence despite Klaasen's blitz in T20 World Cup final
Indian left-arm spinner Axar Patel had an off-day with the ball against South Africa in the 2024 T20 World Cup final. He conceded 49 runs in his four overs, picking up the wicket of Tristan Stubbs.
Axar had a particularly expensive final over when Heinrich Klaasen smashed him for 24 runs. Klaasen seemed to have an answer for whatever Axar threw at him in terms of trajectory and length. Despite being smashed for fours and sixes, Axar spoke about how captain Rohit Sharma kept encouraging him.
Speaking to Cricbuzz, here's what Axar Patel had to say about his final over:
"In the final, when Heinrich Klaasen was aggressive against me, Rohit approached me and reassured me, saying, 'It's alright. You bowled your best. If he hits a good shot, there's not much you can do. Just focus on the next ball.' His support and encouragement boosted my confidence. After I completed the over, he tapped my shoulder and said, 'Well done. Don't worry.'"
Axar believes such conversations helped him pick himself up and that's why he feels man-management is one of Rohit Sharma's impressive leadership traits. The left-arm spinner also credited the Indian captain for having different plans for different oppositions and feels that is one of the reasons why Rohit has won five Indian Premier League titles.
Axar Patel on how well Rohit Sharma used his resources
Axar Patel also opened up on Rohit Sharma's tactical brilliance in terms of determining a specialized batting line-up for a particular opposition based on match-ups.
Giving some examples, Axar stated:
"Rohit Sharma is a brilliant captain. If you observed his captaincy during the World Cup, you wouldn't find a set formula. In some games, I bowled two overs in the PowerPlay, while in others, Jasprit Bumrah bowled early. There wasn't a specific pattern."
He added:
"Similarly, in batting, I didn't always move up the order. In the final, Shivam Dube batted ahead of Hardik Pandya. It was all very tactical, showcasing his ability to think strategically in different situations, determining which player would perform best."
Rohit Sharma and his men became the first team in the history of the T20 World Cup to win the title without being defeated in the tournament.