Under the leadership of the stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma, India scripted history at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday. They beat Bangladesh by 3 wickets in a pulsating last-ball finish to lift the trophy for the 7th time in Asia Cup history.
After yet another collapse of the Indian middle-order, the tail-enders took the charge of scoring runs while a severely hamstrung Kedar Jadhav played a crucial role in India's triumph.
This was the first major tournament victory for India under Rohit’s leadership. After lifting the trophy, when Wah Cricket correspondent asked Rohit if he is ready for long-term captaincy, he confidently replied, “We have done well here, why not?”
“I’m ready for long-term captaincy. Whenever there’ll be an opportunity, I will be ready to take charge,” he added.
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Ahead of the presser, Rohit went on to appreciate the team’s performance throughout the tournament. During the post-match presentation, Rohit Said, “We played some good cricket through the tournament and this is the reward for hard work. We've put in a complete performance. We dominated the entire tournament and this is the reward.”
“Games like these can happen, and I've been part of such encounters before. But credit to the boys out there to handle the pressure towards the end. And to cross the finishing line was a great effort. Bangladesh batted brilliantly, put us under pressure early. But we knew that we could get back when the ball becomes older. It was important to keep the pressure building, and it was something we did well in doing,” he added.
Rohit also appreciated the support they received from the crowd in UAE. He said, “ With a team so good, the captain always looks good. But it's not easy without the support of the ten other players, so credit to them. Last but not the least, thanks to the crowd. Right from the beginning, they've come in huge numbers.”