India captain Rohit Sharma showcased his humorous side while addressing the members of the Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan during a felicitation ceremony for their T20 World Cup victory. The event, held on Friday, was filled with chants of “Mumbai Cha Raja Rohit Sharma,” creating an atmosphere reminiscent of fans at the Wankhede Stadium.
Rohit expressed his gratitude to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar for hosting and honoring the Mumbai-based players of the T20 World Cup-winning team. During his speech, he kept the mood light by joking about Suryakumar Yadav’s iconic catch from the T20 World Cup final against South Africa.
#WATCH | Mumbai | Team India captain Rohit Sharma speaks in Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan as Indian men's cricket team members are being felicitated by CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis
(Source: Maharashtra Assembly) pic.twitter.com/I51K2KqgDV
— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2024
Rohit humorously recounted how Suryakumar Yadav told him, “After Surya caught the ball, he told me that the ball sat in his hand. Thank goodness, it sat in his hand. Otherwise, I would have sat him out.” This joke left the assembly in splits and quickly went viral on social media.
Four members of the T20 World Cup-winning team—Rohit Sharma, Shivam Dube, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Suryakumar Yadav—were felicitated at the Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai. Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also felicitated the players at his residence, presenting them with a shawl and an idol of Lord Ganesha.
Rohit Sharma referred to the crucial catch taken by Suryakumar Yadav in the final over of the match in Barbados on June 29. Suryakumar made a difficult catch look easy with a balancing act along the boundary rope. This catch was critical as it dismissed David Miller, diminishing South Africa’s hopes of chasing down the target and leading to their loss by 7 runs.
Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned Suryakumar’s catch during his breakfast with the T20 World champions in New Delhi, likening it to Kapil Dev’s famous catch in the 1983 World Cup final.
The felicitation took place in the Central Hall in the presence of legislators and assembly staff, where Captain Rohit Sharma and the team were honored with a statue of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. This event not only celebrated their professional achievements but also highlighted the camaraderie and light-hearted moments that define the spirit of the team.