Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma Considered Retirement After WC Final Loss (Credits :"X")

Overview:

Rohit admitted that although he had to mentally switch gears quickly for the 2024 T20 World Cup, the defeat hurt so deeply that, for a while, he felt completely drained and had nothing more to give to the game

Rohit Sharma has candidly admitted that India’s defeat to Australia in the 2023 World Cup final hit him so hard that retiring briefly crossed his mind. The captain had a phenomenal tournament, guiding India undefeated into the summit clash and piling up 597 runs from 11 outings, averaging 54.27 at a strike rate of 125.94.

When India reached the final, they faced an Australian team that executed its strategies brilliantly and halted India’s charge. The hosts managed 240, which proved insufficient as Australia reached the target with six wickets to spare, powered by Travis Head’s brilliant 137 off 120. At a public event, Rohit spoke about what he felt after the defeat and how he gathered himself afterward.

He revealed that the loss was particularly painful because ever since assuming captaincy in 2022, his biggest ambition had been to guide India to a World Cup title.

“Everyone in the team felt shattered, and we were in disbelief over what had unfolded. On a personal level, it was really hard, as I had been preparing for that World Cup from the moment I assumed captaincy in 2022, not just in the months before it.”

“My biggest aim was to lift a World Cup trophy, be it the T20 World Cup or the 2023 one. When we fell short, it broke me completely. I had no energy left, and it took me months to mentally bounce back,” Rohit admitted.

Rohit admitted that although he had to mentally switch gears quickly for the 2024 T20 World Cup, the defeat hurt so deeply that, for a while, he felt completely drained and had nothing more to give to the game.

“When you pour so much effort into something and still don’t get the outcome you wanted, reacting that way is only natural. That’s exactly how I felt. But I also realised that life doesn’t stop there. It taught me a big lesson about handling disappointment, regrouping, and starting again. I knew the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies was coming up, and I needed to shift all my attention towards that. It sounds simple now, but in that moment, it was incredibly tough.”

“At one stage, I genuinely felt like I didn’t want to continue playing cricket because it had drained me completely and I felt I had nothing left,” Rohit said.

Rohit explained that he eventually regained his hunger for cricket, step by step.

“It took time, a lot of effort, and plenty of self-reflection to return. I kept reminding myself that cricket is something I truly love, it was right there in front of me, and I couldn’t just walk away. Gradually, I pushed myself back, rebuilt my energy, and found my rhythm on the field again,” Rohit said.

V M Suriya Narayanan is a passionate cricket writer who has been following the game since 2007. With a background in Civil Engineering (B.E.), he blends analytical thinking with a deep understanding of...