In a candid discussion on Taruwar Kohli’s podcast “Find a Way with Taruwar Kohli,” former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh drew comparisons between MS Dhoni’s 2007 T20 World Cup-winning squad and Rohit Sharma’s victorious 2024 team. Despite acknowledging that it’s challenging to compare different eras, Harbhajan shared his thoughts on why he believes Rohit’s team had more match-winners than Dhoni’s side.
Harbhajan’s Perspective on the 2007 and 2024 Squads
Reflecting on the 2007 T20 World Cup, Harbhajan noted that the format was relatively new to Indian cricketers at the time. “Back then, it was a very new format for us. We were playing for the first time. We didn’t have much clue about T20 cricket. We went with the flow and kept on winning,” Harbhajan explained.
He pointed out that the 2007 team, captained by MS Dhoni, didn’t feature as many established stars, with only a few experienced players like Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, Ajit Agarkar, and himself. The rest were largely newcomers, and Dhoni was captaining for the first time.
In contrast, Harbhajan highlighted the star power in the 2024 squad, led by Rohit Sharma. “Now you see the names in 2024—Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya… all of them are big match-winners. Then you have Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, and Axar Patel,” he said.
Axar Patel’s Underappreciated Performance
Harbhajan singled out Axar Patel for praise, pointing to his crucial role in India’s 2024 T20 World Cup triumph. “I feel people don’t talk more about Axar. You see his performance in the final. It was immense. Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah were excellent throughout. All of them are match-winners,” Harbhajan added, emphasizing the depth of talent in the current team.
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Rohit’s 2024 T20 World Cup Journey
Rohit Sharma’s team began the 2024 T20 World Cup as favorites, but their path to victory was far from easy. India secured hard-fought wins against Pakistan and the USA, followed by a significant victory over Australia. The team then clinched a nail-biting win against South Africa, showcasing their resilience and ability to perform under pressure.
While Harbhajan Singh’s comparison between the two eras underscores the evolution of Indian cricket, it also highlights the different challenges and dynamics that shaped the respective teams’ journeys to World Cup glory.
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