"Place where all our dreams came true, I wanted something of it" - Rohit Sharma on eating grass from pitch after India's 2024 T20 World Cup triumph

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma expressed wanting something from the pitch that made their dreams of winning a World Cup come true as the reason behind his eating the grass from the Barbados pitch where the side won the 2024 T20 World Cup title. After the Men in Blue pulled off an incredible seven-run win against South Africa in the final on Saturday, June 29, Rohit went down on the pitch and ate some sand to celebrate the victory.

It was his first World Cup title as captain, joining only MS Dhoni and Kapil Dev as the only Indian captains to achieve that feat.

In a video shared by the BCCI's X handle, Rohit described the moment as instinctive and said:

"I don't think I can describe that because nothing was scripted. It was all instinctive. I was feeling the moment. When I went to the pitch because that pitch gave us this. We played on that particular pitch and we won the game in that particular ground. I will remember that ground forever in my life and that pitch as well. So, I wanted to have a piece of it with me. Those moments are very very special and the place where all our dreams came true, I wanted something of it."

He also explained the feeling of winning the T20 World Cup title and how the feeling hadn't sunk in even a day later.

"The feeling is surreal. It hasn't sunk in totally. It's been a great moment, right from when the game got over till now, it feels like a dream. We still feel that it hasn't happened, although it has happened, it feels like it hasn't happened. That's the emotion you've. We've dreamt about this for such a long period of time, worked hard as a unit for such a long period of time and to see this (trophy) with us feels quite relieved because when you work hard for something and you eventually get it at the end, it feels really really nice," added Rohit.

The win broke India's 11-year ICC title drought with their last one coming in the 2013 Champions Trophy.

Team India became the first to win a T20 World Cup without losing a single game.

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"Not to have sleep after a day like that, I am totally fine" - Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma admitted not having any sleep on the night of India's 2024 T20 World Cup triumph as he wanted to ensure relishing every moment of the celebrations.

Apart from leading the side tremendously, the 37-year-old also played several crucial knocks, finishing with 257 runs at an average of 36.71 and a strike rate of 156.70 in eight games.

"Last night we were having a good time, we had a blast with teammates till very early morning so I would say I didn't sleep properly but that's absolutely fine by me. Not to have sleep after a day like that, I am totally fine. There is lot of time for me to go back home and sleep, so I am going to catch up on that but this moment was very very special for all of us and I want to live it. I want to live each moment, each second, each minute that is passing by, I want to make the most of it," said Rohit in the same video.

Rohit announced his retirement from T20Is moments after India's title-clinching win over South Africa.

The champion cricketer won his second T20 World Cup title after doing so as a player in 2007. He finishes his T20I career with 4,231 runs at an average of 32.05 and a strike rate of 140.89 in 159 outings.