New Delhi: Former India captain Rohit Sharma revealed he thought of retiring after the heartbreaking loss to Australia in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023.
Under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, India won 10 consecutive matches before entering the final. However, Australia crushed India’s hope as they secured a thrilling six-wicket win, powered by a brilliant century by Travis Head.
“After the 2023 World Cup final, I was completely distraught and 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,” Rohit said during a Masters Union event in Gurugram.
“It took some time, and 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, regaining the energy and getting myself moving again on the field.
“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,” he added.
Less than a year after the defeat to Australia in Ahmedabad, Rohit guided India to the T20 World Cup title in the Americas, though moving on from the November 2023 loss remained a tough challenge.
“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,” Rohit added.
“It was a big lesson for me on how to deal with disappointment, reset, and start fresh. I knew that something else was coming at the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and the 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.”
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