Rohit Sharma and Brendon McCullum (Screengrab) Former India captain Rohit Sharma grabbed a lot of attention at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday evening as the Indian national cricket team defeated the England cricket team to book their place in the final of the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.Rohit, who captained India to the T20 World Cup title in USA and West Indies two years ago, was there as a special guest. Before the start of the semi-finals, he was involved in the pre-match ceremony, the presentation of the silverware and the presentation of the match ball. However, it was his lively interactions with players and staff from both camps that became the talk of the town before the competition even started.The former captain first spent time with members of the Indian side, catching up with Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Mohammed Siraj and India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel. He then moved to the England dugout where he met former captain Eoin Morgan and head coach Brendon McCullum.
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Morgan and McCullum were both impressed by Rohit’s noticeable physical transformation. The former India captain reportedly shed nearly 10 kilograms as part of his fitness drive and the change was clearly visible during his on-ground performance.“In the shape of your life. What’s going on?” Morgan asked Rohit.“Just the cold,” Rohit replied.McCullum, meanwhile, gave a humorous reaction when he saw the former opener. “Where are the rest of you?” he remarked. Rohit replied with a smile and said, “It’s all gone”.Rohit also shared a brief exchange with Suryakumar Yadav that seemed to boost the batsman’s confidence ahead of the high-pressure clash. When Surya asked, “Do you think we can do it?”, Rohit replied positively, “Yeah, sure! We played so well in the last match too.” During another interview, Rohit assured bowling coach Morne Morkel about the conditions and told him not to worry as the wind would be consistent throughout the game.The semi-final marked the third consecutive T20 World Cup knockout match between India and England. England dominated the match in 2022 with a 10-wicket victory before India returned the favor two years later.Thursday’s match again brought tense moments, especially when Jacob Bethell threatened to take the game away from India with a strong innings. However, the match eventually turned in India’s favor thanks to a brilliant finish by Jasprit Bumrah, whose final two overs conceded just 14’Where’s the Rest of You?’: Brendon McCullum runs.
