However, their journey took a dramatic turn in the semi-final against New Zealand.Chasing a modest target of 240, India’s top order crumbled, with Rohit Sharma, captain Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul all departing early.
Despite a valiant effort from Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni, who stitched together a gritty partnership, India fell short by 18 runs, bringing an end to their World Cup campaign.
The semi-final defeat was a bitter pill for Indian fans to swallow, as the team had been strong contenders throughout the tournament.
Rohit Sharma, who emerged as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 648 runs at an average of 81.00, including five centuries, later expressed his belief that Dhoni should have batted at number four.
In a viral video from 2019, Rohit mentioned: “I personally always feel that him batting at number 4 ideal for the team. It totally depends on how the captain (Virat) and the coach think about it. Personally, I would be happy if he (Dhoni) bats at number four.”
WATCH:
In the crucial semi-final, Dhoni batted at number seven, scoring 50 runs off 72 balls before being run out by Martin Guptill.
India, who last won the ODI World Cup in 2011, have won the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 title under Rohit’s captaincy.
