Rohit Sharma playing a shot during his 92-run innings
But on June 24, 2024, the Indian team got their perfect revenge. It was none other than Captain Rohit Sharma who led from the front with a stunning knock. With memories of that final still fresh, Rohit walked in determined and smashed a fiery 92 runs against Australia in the T20 World Cup match. His innings were full of intent, class, and aggression. It wasn’t just about runs. It was personal. Here’s how Rohit Sharma mentally prepared and delivered in one of the biggest moments of his career.
The T20 World Cup 2024 proved to be a turning point for Rohit Sharma and the Indian cricket team. After the heartbreak of the 2023 ODI World Cup Final on November 19, where India suffered a painful defeat at the hands of Australia, this tournament offered the perfect chance for redemption. And when India and Australia faced off again on June 24 in the Super Eight stage in St Lucia, it felt like destiny was giving them that very opportunity. Coming into the match, India had already won two games in the Super Eights, against Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
They were just one win away from booking a place in the semi-finals. On the other hand, Australia had just lost to Afghanistan, and another defeat would knock them out of the tournament. For both sides, everything was on the line. There was a lot of emotion going into this match. Rohit Sharma admitted that the memory of losing the World Cup final was still fresh in the minds of the players. It wasn’t just about a win. It was about restoring pride, both for the team and the millions of Indian fans. But Rohit also made it clear that while the motivation was there, the focus was fully on the present game and how they could give their best performance. Rohit Said:
We knew that if we won this contest, then Australia would be out. That was a decent motivation for all of us: If we win this they can be out. But we can’t play a cricket game thinking about what happened last time, and that we have to get back at them. It was in the back of our minds, that they spoiled our [prospective win on] 19th November (2023 World Cup Final), not just for us but for the entire country. We have to give them a good gift. All these things are in our mind but when I am batting, I don’t think that we’ve to kick them out of the tournament. It’s not like that. We do discuss such stuff lightly in the dressing room, but after the toss, when the game is on, it’s all about how you can do the best.
Rohit Sharma led from the front with one of the most memorable T20 innings of his career. He blasted 92 runs off just 41 balls, hitting 8 sixes in a powerful knock that set the tone for the entire game. His fearless approach right from the start left the Australian bowlers stunned. Every time they tried to put pressure, Rohit found a way to counterattack, whether it was Mitchell Starc or any other bowler. He went after everyone with clear intent. Rohit revealed after the game that he had a specific plan, especially against Starc.
My plan was to attack everyone. I know Mitchell Starc quite well and I have played against him for several years. I knew he would try to swing the ball after pitching it up, he tries to pitch it right at the top. I had my plans against him. Hundreds are special. But some of the 70s, 60s that you get in the context of the game and the occasion of the game makes it even bigger. This was a World Cup and a World Cup has its own importance. So yes, I have to put it right up there (with my best innings).
Having played against him several times, Rohit knew that Starc likes to pitch the ball up to get swing, and he was ready for it. His pre-match planning paid off as he took Starc apart early on, helping India post a big total of 205 for 5 in their 20 overs. But it wasn’t just about Rohit. The Indian bowlers followed up with a clinical performance, restricting Australia and sealing a 24-run win. That victory not only ensured India’s place in the semi-finals but also knocked Australia out of the tournament, something Rohit and his team quietly acknowledged as a sweet bonus. In the post-match interview, Rohit said:
I thought right from over no. 1, there was a strong breeze blowing across. They changed their plan, bowling against the breeze, so I realised I had to open up the off side as well. You’ve got to factor in the breeze, and understand that the bowlers are smart as well, and open up all sides of the field. When you keep an open mind and not just think of one shot, you can access all areas of the field. It was a good wicket, and you want to try and back yourself to play those kinds of shots. I’ve been trying to do that for a few years now, and I’m glad it came off today. The fifties and hundreds don’t matter, I wanted to bat with the same tempo and carry on. You want to make big scores, yes, but at the same time you want to make the bowlers think where the next shot is coming, and I think I managed to do that today.
Speaking after the game, Rohit admitted that there was a light-hearted discussion in the dressing room about getting “revenge” for the 2023 loss. But once the game began, the focus shifted purely to performance. His innings, though not a century, was one of his most satisfying T20 knocks, not just because of the runs, but because of the situation and what it meant for the team.
According to Rohit, sometimes a 70 or 90 in a big game like the World Cup can be more special than a hundred, simply because of the context. And this innings, played under pressure and on a massive stage, will be remembered as one of his finest. In the end, the victory against Australia wasn’t just about progressing in the tournament. It was about healing an old wound.
After being hit for 29 runs in a single over by Rohit Sharma, Mitchell Starc had no choice but to admit that the Indian captain had completely dominated him on the day. It was a moment that summed up Australia’s struggles in their crucial Super Eight clash against India in the T20 World Cup 2024, where Rohit’s fearless and calculated attack took the game away from the Aussies in just a few overs. The match, played in St Lucia, was a must-win encounter for Australia after their surprise defeat to Afghanistan. India, on the other hand, needed a win to confirm their spot in the semi-finals.
With high stakes and pressure building, Rohit Sharma walked out and launched a brutal counterattack right from the beginning. His fearless intent was clear as he dismantled the Australian bowling lineup, especially targeting the wind-assisted side of the ground. In just the third over of the innings, Mitchell Starc was at the receiving end of an onslaught that stunned everyone. Rohit smashed four sixes and a four in that single over, taking 29 runs off it. The left-arm pacer, known for his early breakthroughs and death-over precision, looked helpless as Rohit picked his lengths perfectly. On this, Starc said:
I have played a lot against him. He had a good tournament, especially at the back end. I think he targeted that wind in St Lucia as well. It was the one end that went for lot more [runs] than the other. I think I had five bad balls and he hit them all for six.
Every error in line or length was punished, and Starc had little margin for error against a batter in such form and rhythm. Rohit’s aggressive approach didn’t stop there. He continued to dominate and went on to score a brilliant 92 off just 41 deliveries. Even though Starc managed to dismiss him just eight runs short of a century, the damage had already been done. Rohit’s knock had set the tone for the rest of the innings, and India capitalised on the explosive start to post a daunting total of 205. For Starc, the over was a rare off day in an otherwise reliable World Cup career.
After the match, he reflected on the game and accepted that the conditions at St Lucia favoured aggressive batting. He felt India made better use of the pitch, especially understanding the impact of the wind direction. It helped batters score freely from one end, which Rohit expertly exploited. Australia, despite a strong start to the tournament, found itself in a tight spot. They were unbeaten until their back-to-back losses to Afghanistan and India. Against India, they did show some fight with Travis Head playing a fine knock of 76 off 43 balls, but the early momentum gained by India, thanks to Rohit’s innings, made the chase very difficult. He further added:
We thought it [target] was close to par, maybe a little bit over par but it was the best wicket at the World Cup that we played on. It was probably the quickest wicket. (It was) certainly chaseable, we were on target for a while and a couple of hiccups and some good bowling from them just set us back. The last two games that we played wasn’t our best cricket and not the result we wanted. It was probably a misread of conditions in that Afghanistan game. They obviously played some good cricket and we probably didn’t play our best.
Starc later shared that Australia believed the target was slightly above par but still chaseable given the quality of the pitch. He felt that it was one of the best surfaces they had played on during the tournament, offering pace and bounce. However, key moments, a couple of poor overs, and strong bowling from the Indian side halted their progress. He also admitted that Australia’s fielding had been below par throughout the tournament, and that too played a role in their early exit. Dropped chances, missed run-outs, and lapses in the field didn’t help their cause in tight situations.