India skipper Rohit Sharma was full of emotions after the title-clinching seven-run win over South Africa in the T20 World Cup final in Barbados on Saturday. Rohit, who finished the tournament as India’s highest run-getter, was visibly ecstatic as India ended their more than decade-long ICC title drought without legendary captain MS Dhoni.

Unique celebration gets appreciation

Just after securing the title, Rohit patted the ground multiple times and was also seen eating the soil of Kensington Oval’s pitch as Indian players continued their celebrations. The official social media account of Wimbledon shared pictures of Rohit and Novak Djokovic in similar actions, highlighting the similarity between the two sports greats. FIFA also posted about his trophy walk, comparing it to Lionel Messi’s. Netizens quickly noticed Rohit’s epic soil-eating celebration, reminiscent of Djokovic’s habit of eating grass after winning the Wimbledon Grand Slam. Rohit had previously admitted to being a Djokovic fan.

Rohit, who had played in each edition of the T20 World Cup, announced his retirement from T20Is, following the footsteps of his teammate Virat Kohli. Both players will continue to play ODI and Test cricket for the country.

India’s nerve-wracking Victory

In a nervy summit clash, the Men in Blue remained calm and composed in a pressure situation and successfully defended 176 despite Heinrich Klaasen’s fiery 52 off 27 balls. Hardik Pandya bagged the crucial dismissal and scripted a late fightback to help secure India’s second T20 World Cup title. India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah also built pressure from the other end, taking the wicket of Marco Jansen. Pandya returned to stamp his authority with the scalps of David Miller and Kagiso Rabada in the final over, restricting South Africa to 169/8 in 20 overs.

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Earlier, India won the toss and opted to bat first but were struggling at 34/3 after 4.3 overs, losing Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, and Suryakumar Yadav inside the powerplay. However, Virat Kohli stepped up, playing an anchor knock of 76 off 59 balls, while Axar Patel scored 47 off 31 balls to take their total to 176/7.

India’s victory was a testament to their resilience and skill, with key performances from both the batting and bowling units. The celebrations that followed, especially Rohit’s unique gesture, added a memorable chapter to India’s cricketing history.