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India skipper Rohit Sharma entered an exclusive captains club after powering the team with a Player of the Match performance in the high-stakes Champions Trophy final against New Zealand in Dubai on Sunday.
After orchestrating India to a new level of dominance, Rohit became just the fourth captain and the second Indian to win a POTM away in the Men's ICC tournament finals. He joined the exclusive list of captains, featuring Clive Lloyd (West Indies, CWC 1975), Ricky Ponting (Australia, CWC 2003) and 'Captain Cool' MS Dhoni (India, CWC 2011). Rohit broke the spine of New Zealand's 251-run defence with an effortless swashbuckling display in a throbbing atmosphere and a sold-out crowd at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. He flexed his muscles, flaunted his prolific power strokes, hammered New Zealand's clinical bowling unit all around the park, and lifted India to a position of control with a match-winning 76(83). Before losing his wicket in an attempt to keep the pressure on New Zealand's shoulders, Rohit had wreaked enough carnage that the Kiwis could hardly recover from it. His rollicking performance was a sight to behold for many as India felt euphoria after stamping its authority with a four-wicket triumph. Rohit was crowned Player of the Match in the final, and India relished in its new-found success. In the post-match press conference, Rohit gave a sneak peek into his approach and told reporters, "No, look. Even today, I have not done anything different; I have been doing the same thing that I've been doing over the past 3 - 4 matches. I know how very important it is to score runs in the power play because we saw in not only 1 or 2 games, but all five games after 10 overs, it becomes very difficult when the field spreads and spinners come." While wickets kept falling at one end, the 'Hitman' upped the ante by implementing his experience and acting as the driving force throughout the chase. When runs dried up in the middle overs, Rohit took the brunt on his shoulders of keeping the scoreboard ticking. He ambled down the crease, took a wild swing, and was stumped. As he walked back towards the dressing room, his troops carried on the fight and ensured India walked out of the stadium with the coveted prize in their bag. "It becomes a little tough because the pitch is already slow. And we're doing second batting. It's already slow. It's very important for you to take chances. And I don't think that I will bat like this or that I will play like that," he added. (ANI)
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