highlights
India won the T20 World Cup by defeating Pakistan in 2007
Joginder Sharma defended 13 runs in the final over
RP Singh questions a decision of Dhoni in the final
New Delhi. Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the most successful captain in Indian cricket history. Under his captaincy, India has won 2 World Cups and a Champions Trophy. In 2007, under the leadership of Dhoni, India won the T20 World Cup title by defeating Pakistan in the very first season. Then Joginder Sharma bowled the last over in the final and he became the hero of the team’s victory. 16 years after becoming India’s champion, Dhoni’s best friend RP Singh has made a big disclosure about Dhoni’s decision to give Joginder Sharma the final over.
RP Singh revealed the real reason behind Dhoni’s decision to give the final over to Joginder Sharma during the commentary in a SA20 league match. RP Singh said that Dhoni had Harbhajan Singh and Joginder Sharma as substitutes to bowl the last over. But Harbhajan had bowled the 17th over of Pakistan’s innings and Misbah-ul-Haq had hit three sixes in that over. Only after this Dhoni took a big risk and gave the final over to Joginder Sharma.
The decision to get Harbhajan in the 17th over was a big decision: RP Singh
RP Singh further said, “Dhoni believed that the 20th over is not as important as the 17th, 18th and 19th overs. Misbah was playing very well at that time. Harbhajan usually bowled the 17th over and often got us wickets. But that day Misbah-ul-Haq was playing in a different way. That’s why Dhoni’s decision to get Harbhajan for the 17th over was a heavy one.
‘Had he been a left handed batsman, Harbhajan would have bowled the final over’
He further said that that’s why Harbhajan bowled only 3 overs. He could not bowl the last over. I had to bowl the 19th over and Sreesanth bowled the 18th over before me. Dhoni had two options regarding the 20th over. One Harbhajan Singh, against whom Misbah batted aggressively and the other Joginder. Had there been a left-handed batsman then, Harbhajan would probably have bowled the final over even after proving costly. But there was a right-handed batter on strike. That’s why Dhoni handed the ball to Joginder and what happened after that. That is history.
Pakistan needed 6 runs in the last 4 balls. But on the third ball of the last over, Joginder dismissed Misbah-ul-Haq and gave India the World Cup win.
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Tags: India Vs Pakistan, ms dhoni, RP singh, T20 World Cup 2007
FIRST PUBLISHED : February 04, 2023, 16:23 IST