India’s T20 World Cup-winning captain, Rohit Sharma, expressed his determination to continue winning major trophies for his country after their recent success. He also expressed gratitude to his “three pillars” who have supported him throughout his journey as a captain.
Under Rohit’s leadership, India ended an 11-year drought for ICC trophies by clinching their second ICC T20 World Cup title in a thrilling final against South Africa in June, winning by seven runs in Barbados. Speaking at the CEAT Cricket Awards, Rohit emphasised that the team will keep pushing themselves and striving for greater achievements.
Rohit, who has won five IPL trophies, shared that his hunger for victory remains strong. “Once you taste success, you never want to stop. We will continue to push ourselves as a team and aim for even greater accomplishments in the future,” he said.
Looking ahead, Rohit acknowledged the team’s upcoming challenges, including a five-Test tour to Australia later this year, the ICC Champions Trophy, and the ICC World Test Championship final (should the team qualify) next year in Pakistan and the UK. “We have some solid and challenging tours ahead. The journey never stops. Once you achieve something, you always aim for more. That’s the mindset I have, and I believe my teammates share the same approach,” Rohit added.
The Indian skipper also spoke about his vision of transforming the team into a unit that plays with freedom, without being burdened by statistics and milestones. He credited his “three pillars”—former head coach Rahul Dravid, BCCI secretary Jay Shah, and chief selector Ajit Agarkar—for their support in helping him achieve this goal. “It was my dream to create an environment where the players could perform without overthinking. I received tremendous support from Jay Shah, Rahul Dravid, and Ajit Agarkar, which was crucial in achieving what we did,” Rohit said.
He also acknowledged the crucial role of the players who contributed at various stages, helping the team reach its goals. Reflecting on the World Cup victory, Rohit emphasised the importance of celebrating the moment and expressed gratitude to the nation for joining in the celebrations.
In the final of the T20 World Cup 2024, Virat Kohli (76), Hardik Pandya (3/20), and Jasprit Bumrah (2/18) were instrumental in India’s seven-run victory over South Africa. Kohli’s exceptional innings helped India set a total of 176/7, while Bumrah and Pandya’s pace attack turned the tide in India’s favour, restricting South Africa to 169/8.
The 26th edition of the CEAT Cricket Awards celebrated a remarkable group of cricketers and sports leaders for their outstanding contributions throughout the year. Phil Salt was named Men’s T20I Batter of the Year, while Tim Southee earned the Men’s T20I Bowler of the Year title. Shreyas Iyer received the Award for Outstanding Leadership for leading Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to victory in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Sai Kishore was honoured as the Domestic Cricketer of the Year for his consistent performances.
Virat Kohli was awarded Men’s ODI Batter of the Year, and Mohammad Shami received the title of Men’s ODI Bowler of the Year. Harmanpreet Kaur was honored for holding the record for the most matches as a captain in Women’s T20I history. Yashashvi Jaiswal and Ravichandran Ashwin were named Men’s Test Batter and Bowler of the Year, respectively, while Deepti Sharma and Smriti Mandhana were awarded Women’s Indian Bowler and Batter of the Year.
Shafali Verma received the Award for the Fastest Double Century in Women’s Test cricket. Jay Shah was recognized for Excellence in Sports Administration for his contributions to the sport, and Rahul Dravid was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his remarkable contribution to cricket.
