The intense anticipation and electrifying energy surrounding any India-Pakistan cricket clash remain unmatched, and India skipper Rohit Sharma recently offered a glimpse of the atmosphere in the buildup to the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 match and India’s thrilling six-run win in what turned out to be a tight contest.
“Before the India vs Pakistan match, we were told there was a threat – something was going on. So, two days before the game, we weren’t allowed to step out of the hotel. The atmosphere started building from there. We were ordering food in, and the hotel was so packed you could barely walk. Fans, media – everyone was there. That’s when you realise this isn’t just another match – something special is about to happen.”
“As soon as we got near the stadium, it already felt like a celebration – Indian fans, Pakistani fans, all dancing and enjoying themselves. I’ve played so many India-Pakistan games now – I’ve lost count – but that pre-match energy, that feeling… It’s always something else. Nothing compares to it,” Rohit said on JioHotstar’s special ‘Champions Waali Feeling Phir Se’.
India posted 119 on a tough New York surface after losing early wickets. Rohit (13), Virat Kohli (4) and Axar Patel (20) all fell cheaply, but Rishabh Pant anchored the innings with a crucial 42 off 31 deliveries, a performance Rohit praised highly.
“We just wanted Rishabh to be Rishabh – do all the things he does best, unsettle the bowlers, play freely. And he did that perfectly. His innings was around 42, and on that pitch, that’s as good as scoring 70. It was a very challenging surface – something was always happening.
“The par score there was probably 130 or 140. We ended up with 119. Our plan wasn’t to go for 200 – we were aiming for 140. But of course, we lost wickets along the way. And that’s when Rishabh played that crucial knock of 40-plus, which really held things together. Eventually, we got 119 – and I actually felt it could still be a good score. Maybe 10–15 runs short, but I knew that if we got 2–3 early wickets with the new ball, that 119 would start to feel like 160,” Rohit said.
Rohit also credited India’s bowling strategy, especially the execution by Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, in defending the modest total.
“With Bumrah, you’ve got to be proactive in how you use him. He’s a wicket-taker, and at the same time, he’s not going to leak runs. So, how do you balance that, especially when the opposition is chasing at a run-a-ball? Arshdeep has been phenomenal too. Over the last two years, there’s a reason he’s become India’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is — he’s a really smart bowler.
“So, with both of them, my focus was on how to use their remaining overs strategically. You think about which batters are coming in, how would they handle Arshdeep and Bumrah? On that pitch, it was tough for new batters to settle, so our goal was to force new guys to the crease. That was the plan,” Rohit concluded.
While the two teams have faced off in global tournaments like the World Cup, Champions Trophy and Asia Cup, full-fledged bilateral series between the two neighbours have been since diplomatic tensions escalated in the late 2000s. The last bilateral series took place in 2012–13, when Pakistan toured India for a short limited-overs engagement. Since then, all contests between the arch-rivals have been confined to neutral venues.