Kamal Ghorui
Former India captain Rohit Sharma grabbed plenty of attention at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday night as India national cricket team defeated England cricket team to secure a place in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.Rohit, who captained India to the T20 World Cup title in the USA and West Indies two years ago, was present at the venue as a special guest. Before the semi-final began, he was involved in the pre-match ceremony, presenting the silverware and handing over the match ball. However, it was his lively interactions with players and staff from both camps that became a talking point even before the contest got underway.The former skipper first spent time with members of the Indian side, catching up with Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Mohammed Siraj and India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel. After that, he walked across to the England dugout, where he met former captain Eoin Morgan and head coach Brendon McCullum.
Morgan and McCullum were both stunned by Rohit’s noticeable physical transformation. The former India captain has reportedly shed close to 10 kilograms as part of his fitness drive, and the change was clearly visible during his appearance at the ground.“In the shape of your life. What’s going on?” Morgan asked Rohit.“Just chilling,” Rohit replied.McCullum, meanwhile, had a humorous reaction when he saw the former opener. “Where’s the rest of you?” he remarked. Rohit responded with a smile, saying, “It’s all gone”.Rohit also shared a brief exchange with Suryakumar Yadav that seemed to lift the batter’s confidence ahead of the high-pressure clash. When Surya asked, “Do you think we’ll be able to pull it off?”, Rohit responded positively: “Yeah, obviously! We played so well in the last match too.” During another conversation, Rohit reassured bowling coach Morne Morkel about the conditions, telling him not to worry as the wind would stay consistent throughout the game.The semi-final marked the third consecutive T20 World Cup knockout meeting between India and England. England had dominated the 2022 clash with a 10-wicket victory before India returned the favour two years later.Thursday’s contest once again produced tense moments, especially when Jacob Bethell threatened to take the game away from India with a powerful innings. However, the match ultimately turned in India’s favour thanks to a superb finish from Jasprit Bumrah, whose final two overs conceded just 14’Where’s the Rest of You?’: Brendon McCullum runs.
