‘Nothing compares to it’: Rohit Sharma on India-Pakistan cricket rivalry

New Delhi: The excitement and buzz surrounding the India-Pakistan clash is unmatched for cricket enthusiasts and players due to the fierce historic rivalry between the two nations. India skipper Rohit Sharma has been a part of many such matches and he admitted that the atmosphere before these fixtures is unmatched.

Recalling the T20 World Cup 2024 clash between them, Rohit said the pre-match environment was like a festival, starting from their hotel and extending to the stadium. India won the match by six runs in a low-scoring thriller as Jasprit Bumrah collected the figures of 3-14 to bag the Player of the Match accolade.

“Before the India vs Pakistan match, we were told there was a threat – something was going on. So, two days before the game, we weren’t allowed to step out of the hotel. The atmosphere started building from there. We were ordering food in, and the hotel was so packed you could barely walk. Fans, media – everyone was there. That’s when you realise this isn’t just another match – something special is about to happen.

“As soon as we got near the stadium, it already felt like a celebration – Indian fans, Pakistani fans, all dancing and enjoying themselves. I’ve played so many India–Pakistan games now – I’ve lost count – but that pre-match energy, that feeling… It’s always something else. Nothing compares to it,” Rohit said on JioHotstar’s special ‘Champions Waali Feeling Phir Se’.

In the match, India suffered early blows in Virat Kohli (4), Rohit (13) and Axar Patel (20) but Rishabh Pant played a decisive knock of 42 off 31 balls including six fours to take the side to a respectable total of 119 as no other batter in the middle order was able to reach double figures.

Lauding Pant’s efforts, Rohit said the wicketkeeper-batter played up to his potential and kept them alive on the challenging surface.

“We just wanted Rishabh to be Rishabh – do all the things he does best, unsettle the bowlers, play freely. And he did that perfectly. His innings was around 42, and on that pitch, that’s as good as scoring 70. It was a very challenging surface – something was always happening.

“The par score there was probably 130 or 140. We ended up with 119. Our plan wasn’t to go for 200 – we were aiming for 140. But of course, we lost wickets along the way. And that’s when Rishabh played that crucial knock of 40-plus, which really held things together. Eventually, we got 119 – and I actually felt it could still be a good score. Maybe 10–15 runs short, but I knew that if we got 2–3 early wickets with the new ball, that 119 would start to feel like 160,” Rohit said.

The opening batter went on to heap praise on the pace duo of Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh for successfully defending the total and also highlighting their worth in the shortest format of the game.

“With Bumrah, you’ve got to be proactive in how you use him. He’s a wicket-taker, and at the same time, he’s not going to leak runs. So, how do you balance that, especially when the opposition is chasing at a run-a-ball? Arshdeep has been phenomenal too. Over the last two years, there’s a reason he’s become India’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is — he’s a really smart bowler.

“So, with both of them, my focus was on how to use their remaining overs strategically. You think about which batters are coming in, how would they handle Arshdeep and Bumrah? On that pitch, it was tough for new batters to settle, so our goal was to force new guys to the crease. That was the plan,” Rohit concluded.

IANS