'Rohit Sharma will jump into Barbados ocean if he loses a 2nd World Cup final': Sourav Ganguly ahead of IND vs SA clash

Rohit Sharma's Team India will meet South Africa in the T20 World Cup final, as the side aims to end an 11-year ICC title drought on Saturday.Team India will aim to end an 11-year ICC title drought on Saturday when the side faces South Africa in the final of the T20 World Cup. The Rohit Sharma-led side produced a solid performance in the semi-final, crushing defending champions England by 68 runs to secure a title clash with the Proteas; both teams reached the final unbeaten.

Under Rohit Sharma's captaincy, India have reached three finals in ICC tournaments; however, the side faced successive defeats to Australia in the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup, both in 2023. In his first tournament as Indian captain at the 2022 T20 World Cup, India lost to England in the semis. With the upcoming final in Barbados potentially being the last opportunity for Rohit to lead India to an ICC title in the format, former India skipper Sourav Ganguly says the 36-year-old will be desperate to end the wait.“

I don't think he can lose two World Cup finals in seven (six) months. He will probably jump into the Barbados ocean if he loses two finals under his captaincy in seven months,” Ganguly told PTI.“He has led from the front, batted brilliantly, and I hope it continues tomorrow. Hope India finishes on the right side, and they should play with freedom. They have been the best side of the competition. I wish them luck, I wish they win. Hope they have a little bit of luck tomorrow because that is required to win big tournaments," Ganguly added.

Winning IPL is tougher

Rohit is a five-time IPL champion as Mumbai Indians' captain, a position he held till the 2023 edition of the tournament, and Ganguly says that the length of the premier T20 league makes it tougher to win than ICC tournaments like the T20 World Cup.

“Rohit has the record of winning five IPL titles, which is a huge achievement. Winning an IPL sometimes is more difficult. Don't misquote me, I'm not saying IPL is better than international cricket,” said Ganguly.“But you have to win 16-17 (12-13) matches to win an IPL; here you need to win 8-9 matches to win a World Cup. The honour is more in winning the World Cup, and I hope Rohit does it tomorrow,” he concluded.