Ricky Ponting Lauds Rohit Sharma’s Captaincy After India’s Narrow Victory Over Pakistan

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting heaped praise on India skipper Rohit Sharma following India’s narrow 6-run win over Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2024. Ponting described Rohit as a “very experienced captain” and commended his leadership during the high-stakes match.

Despite Rohit’s brief innings of 13 runs off 12 balls, which included one four and one six before being dismissed by Shaheen Afridi in the third over, Ponting focused on his captaincy. In a video shared on the official ICC Instagram account, Ponting remarked, “Rohit Sharma is a very experienced captain, isn’t he? And I just saw him then and said, mate, your captaincy today was outstanding. I don’t think he could have done much more.”

Ponting highlighted Rohit’s understanding of his bowlers, many of whom he has captained in the IPL as well as for India. “He understands them, knows when he can use them, but it’s one thing for the captain to set a plan, the bowlers are going to go ahead and execute it and Hardik was outstanding,” he added.

Ponting also noted the changing pitch conditions during the match, explaining that the wicket dried out quickly in the second innings due to the sun. “I thought he did a really good job with the ball as well, and then you break it down and this has been a wicket that the seamers have liked, but their spinner bowled four overs for 20 as well and Patel picked up a big wicket,” he said. Ponting emphasized the adaptability required under these conditions, praising Rohit’s ability to adjust on the run.

The match, held at New York’s Nassau International Cricket Stadium, saw India secure a victory in a low-scoring thriller. Pakistan won the toss and elected to field, putting India under pressure on a challenging surface. Star openers Virat Kohli (4) and Rohit Sharma (13) struggled to make an impact.

Rishabh Pant stepped up with an aggressive 42 off 31 balls, forming crucial partnerships with Axar Patel and Suryakumar Yadav. However, India’s lower middle order crumbled, leaving them at 119 in 19 overs. Pakistan’s Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah both took three wickets each, while Mohammed Amir and Shaheen Shah Afridi also contributed to India’s struggles.

In response, Pakistan adopted a measured approach, with Mohammed Rizwan anchoring the innings with 31 runs off 44 balls. However, Jasprit Bumrah (3/14) and Hardik Pandya (2/24) dismantled Pakistan’s batting lineup, claiming key wickets including Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, and Iftikhar Ahmed.

Regular wickets kept Pakistan under pressure, and despite Naseem Shah’s late efforts, they fell short by six runs. Arshdeep Singh’s accurate final over ensured India’s victory. Bumrah was named ‘Player of the Match’ for his decisive spell.

This win places India at the top of Group A with two wins and four points. In contrast, Pakistan’s chances of advancing look slim, sitting in fourth place after losses to both the USA and India.