With a calm smile that would not go away and the sensation of becoming the global champion not yet setting in, Rohit Sharma carried the T20 global Cup trophy like a newborn infant as he made his way to the beach for the victorious captain’s post-tournament photo shoot.
It was understandable that he was a little confused. Ultimately, a jinx that persisted for more than ten years had been lifted.
“It’s surreal. It feels like a dream. It feels like it hasn’t happened. Although it has happened but it feels like it hasn’t happened,” Rohit laughed trying to process his thoughts after 24 hours while talking to BCCI.TV.
Bridgetown, a coastal city, is struggling with a hurricane. The same could be said of the Indian captain, with the exception that he constantly struggles to keep a range of emotions under control that occasionally threaten to overpower him like a massive sea wave.
“Last night we had a good time, we had a blast with the teammates till the early morning,” he couldn’t stop grinning before becoming a touch emotional. I would say I didn’t sleep properly but that’s absolutely fine by me. There is a lot of time for me to go back and sleep. I want to live this moment, each minute, each second that is passing by and will try to make the most of it,” he said describing how it felt to lead an Indian team to its first ICC title in 11 years.
“It’s been a great moment right from the time the game got over to till now. That’s the emotions and feelings you have,” said the skipper.
His marauding run at the top, especially in the knockouts, fetched Rohit a place in the team of the tournament but all he can think about for now is a sense of joyous relief.
“We have dreamt about this for such a long period of time, we worked hard as a unit for such a long period of time and to see this trophy with us, it feels quite relieved as well.
“When you have worked hard for something and eventually at the end you get it, feels really, really nice,” the skipper reiterated.
People watched in awe and laughter as Rohit approached the 22-yard stretch at Kensington Oval and, like Novak Djokovic, put a tiny particle of soil in his mouth.
The 37-year-old claimed it was a spontaneous gesture.
“Nothing was scripted. It was all coming instinctively. I was feeling the moment,” Rohit said about his ode to the turf that gave him the best moment of his life.
“When I went to the pitch, that pitch gave us this trophy. I will remember that ground forever in my life and that pitch as well. I wanted to have a piece of it with me.
“Those moments are very special, the place where all our dreams came true and I wanted something of it,” he concluded.
