Pacer Mohammed Siraj played a pivotal role in India’s dominant victory, finishing with impressive figures of 6 for 21 in his spell.
“I get a lot of satisfaction when I see fast bowlers perform like this. All captains take a lot of pride in having a strong fast bowling unit, and I am no different. We have got a fantastic set of fast bowlers,” Rohit remarked.Highlighting the versatility within the fast bowling lineup, Rohit added, “All of them have different skill sets and variations – one can bowl quick, one can swing the ball, one can get good bounce. When you get all of these aspects in one team, it is a feel-good factor.”
Speaking about Siraj’s incredible spell, Rohit shared a glimpse into the pacer’s enthusiasm, saying, “It was very pleasing to watch from the slips how Siraj bowled. He got the ball to move a bit more than the other two. We were riding behind him (Siraj) when he was bowling that spell.”
Rohit humorously recalled that it took a message from the team trainer to stop Siraj, who was high on adrenaline after his seven-over spell.
“He bowled seven overs in that spell, and I got a message from the trainer that we have to stop him now. He was quite desperate to bowl,” Rohit said with a chuckle. However, the captain clarified that he had no plans to give Siraj another over due to the considerable workload.
Rohit also showered praise on left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadavwho was named ‘Player of the Tournament’ for his outstanding contributions.
“Kuldeep has done very well under pressure. He bowled well against Sri Lanka in the Super 4 match, and we won despite posting a small total. His confidence has been going up over the last two years or so. He drags the team back into the match from any situation,” Rohit stated.
Looking ahead, Rohit emphasised that the Asia Cup victory has come at the right time for the team as they prepare for the upcoming World Cup, scheduled to begin next month.
“Throughout the tournament, the guys stood up under pressure and performed their roles. We were slightly below par in some games, particularly in fielding, but overall, our fielding was very good, especially slip fielding. We will have off days on the field, which is fine as long as you bounce back well the next day,” Rohit concluded.
(With inputs from PTI)
