Rohit Sharma's rise-from-the-ashes moment identified as India sniff T20 WC win: 'Change in mentality happened after...'

India would look to avoid a hat-trick of semifinal fumbles when they take on England in the T20 World Cup knockout game in Guyana on Thursday. Across the last four editions, thrice India have come close to winning the T20 World Cup – finishing runner-ups in 2014 and semifinalists in 2016 and 2022. They were beaten by West Indies eight years ago and dealt a 10-wicket hammering by England in Adelaide, but with Rohit Sharma's India displaying a new vigour and playing a stunning brand of cricket, India head into the game with the upper hand over the defending champions.

After playing timid cricket in 2021 – leading to a Round of 16 exit – and enduring a heartbreak a year later, India have finally cracked the code. They are playing the 2024 T20 World Cup with an attacking instinct, which has paid off. The batters are going ballistic from the very beginning and the bowlers aren't giving an inch. It's refreshing to see India finally adapt and embrace the modern-day template of T20 cricket.

But what led to this transition? Former England captain Nasser Hussain believes the 10-wicket-hammering two years ago lit a fuse within the team, especially captain Rohit Sharma. It was, as Hussain points out, Rohit's moment of redemption as he played with flair in last year's 50-overs World Cup and continued to build on it the T20 World Cup.

"You know… I think the change in mentality happened after that T20 World Cup semi-final in Adelaide. And that was noticeable for India in the 50-over World Cup. And also through this tournament. They couldn't quite do it in New York because of the pitches. The pitches were poor; it wasn't the kind of surface to go out and express yourself. But as their batters have got a bit of confidence – some of them, not all – they have gone back to that mentality and it has completely led by Rohit Sharma," Hussain said while speaking to SKY Cricket.

Rohit Sharma roars back to form and how?

The 2022 T20 World Cup semifinal would end up being Rohit's last T20 international for over a year. He made his return in the format through India's three-match series against Afghanistan in January this year, where he started with a couple of ducks before smashing a century in the final T20I. In the ongoing World Cup too, Rohit tried to bat with the same intensity but it didn't pay off. After peeling off a fifty against Ireland, Rohit's scores of 13, 3, 8 and 23 raised questions as to whether he is still the same force in T20 cricket which he once was. Sure enough, he had scored a hundred for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL, but a string of low scores raised eyebrows regarding his form.

However, Rohit dispelled any such concerns when he smoked Australia all over St. Lucia, en route to scoring 92 off 41 balls to star in India's 26-run win. It was India's second-highest individual score in T20 World Cups after Suresh Raina's 101 back in 2010, but one that made Hussain jump right out of his chair.

"If you're going to walk the talk as captain – and he did before the Australia game. He said he is not worried about fifties and hundreds. I am worried about what comes after the scores, the balls faced, the strike rate. And that was one of the great white-ball innings I've seen played against Australia. Elegant. Absolute brutal elegance at its best. Taking down Starc, slog-sweeping Cummins, inside-out over extra cover. That was one of the best innings visually I have ever seen. Just outstanding," said the former England skipper.