Rohit Sharma was excellent at the 2023 ODI World Cup, both with the bat and as a captain of his side. India had won ten matches on the trot to reach the final against Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. But, the Men in Blue lost to Australia under Pat Cummins in the summit clash.
On one such occassion, Rohit was questioned how he accepted his loss. The former India captain said the entire team was unhappy with the result. As far as his personal feelings are concerned, the 38-year-old confessed that it took him a while to get over the disappointment since he had worked so hard for years and laid everything on to win the most coveted trophy for the nation.
“Everybody was extremely disappointed, and we just couldn’t believe what had happened. It was a very tough time for me personally because I had put everything into that World Cup, not just two or three months before it, but ever since I took over the captaincy in 2022. My only goal was to win the World Cup, whether it was the T20 World Cup or the 2023 World Cup. So when it didn’t happen, I was completely devastated,” Rohit said at the Masters Union in Gurgaon, where he was the chief guest.
“There was no energy left in my body. It took me a couple of months to recover and bring myself back. I guess when you invest so much into something and don’t achieve the result, it’s a very natural reaction. That’s exactly what happened with me. But I also knew that life doesn’t end there. It was a big lesson for me how to deal with disappointment, reset, and start fresh.”
Rohit Sharma
It took some time, a lot of energy, and self-reflection to get back: Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma said that renewed energy and deep self-reflection helped him get back on track after he briefly considered retirement following the final. With the 2024 T20 World Cup less than a year away, he shifted his focus away from the defeat and toward the challenge ahead.
“I knew that something else was coming the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies and I had to shift all my focus towards that. It’s very easy to say this now, but at that moment, it was extremely difficult. At one point, I honestly felt like I didn’t want to play this sport anymore because it had taken everything out of me, and I felt I had nothing left. It took some time, a lot of energy, and self-reflection to get back.”
Rohit Sharma
“I kept reminding myself that this is something I truly love, that it was right in front of me, and I couldn’t let it go so easily. Slowly, I found my way back putting in the effort, regaining the energy, and getting myself moving again on the field.”
Rohit Sharma
Rohit returns to action in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, which begins on January 11 in Vadodara. At the domestic level, he will represent Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
