Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar said that he always wanted India to win the World Cup. Not only this, but the cricketing great also said that Rohit Sharma, team India’s current skipper, deserves to win the cup. Notably, India are set to clash against South Africa in the summit clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday, June 29 (IST). The Men in Blue took down England in the semifinals by a margin of 68 runs to set the final date with the Proteas.
The tournament has seen skipper Rohit Sharma standing up and taking charge of the batting lineup in times of need. The talismanic batter has produced several match-winning knocks to help the side remain unbeaten throughout the tournament. This is the third time the South Asian giants will play the T20 World Cup final after 2007 and 2014.
Fondly called ‘Rawalpindi Express’ by the cricketing fraternity, Akhtar said that he was hurt when India missed the World Cup last year by a whisker. Akhtar also added hailed Rohit Sharma and called him a selfless captain. The 48-year-old said on his YouTube channel, “I was always in favour of India winning the tournament, and was hurt last year when India couldn’t win the World Cup. They should not have lost it because they deserved to win.”
The former cricketer added, “Rohit Sharma has time and again said that he wants to make an impact and win the trophy and so, he deserves to win the cup. He is a big player and should end on a big note. Sharma is a selfless captain who plays for the team and is a dedicated batter.”