Why Rohit Sharma Still Can’t Move On from the 2023 ODI World Cup Final?
The 2023 ODI World Cup final will always be remembered as a heartbreaking day for Indian cricket fans. After an undefeated run in the group stage, India suffered a crushing defeat against Australia in the final, that too on home soil.
It was an especially painful moment for captain Rohit Sharma, who had passionately declared before the tournament:
Mujhe sirf World Cup dikhta hai bhai, wo jo teen chhote-chhote pillar bane hain aur uske upar globe bana hai. Meri ek shatak lage, do lage ya lage hi nahi… fark nahi padta, bas World Cup jeetna hai.
Despite their incredible performance throughout the tournament, the dream remained unfulfilled. In an exclusive interview with MITV, Rohit Sharma opens up about the emotions, challenges, and the road ahead.
How Rohit Sharma Transformed the Indian Cricket Team’s Mindset!
In 2022, during the T20 World Cup semi-final in Adelaide, India faced a crushing 10-wicket defeat against England. A dejected Rohit Sharma sat alongside wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik, reflecting on the loss. It was at that moment that Rohit decided a shift in mindset was needed. He emphasized that personal milestones should no longer be the focus and that the team’s success must come first. This marked a turning point for Indian cricket, as Rohit instilled a collective approach, prioritizing teamwork over individual achievements, ultimately shaping the team’s mentality for future challenges.
It started literally way back in 2022 when we played that World Cup in Australia, he said of the planning. Although we didn’t qualify for the final, we lost in the semis, we made it very clear with the players, like “this is what we expect from you” and “this is how we want you to play”. So there was a lot of clarity, a lot of conversations with the players. To perform, there needs to be a lot of freedom within the group so that they can go and play without fear.
Rohit Sharma’s leadership brought a remarkable transformation to Indian cricket. As a result of this mindset shift, India dominated the 2023 ODI World Cup, becoming the only team to reach the finals unbeaten. However, a heartbreaking loss to Australia in the final left Rohit devastated. Despite the setback, he rose again and led India brilliantly in the 2024 T20 World Cup. Under his captaincy, India remained unbeaten throughout the tournament and defeated South Africa in the final, ending an 11-year ICC trophy drought. Rohit’s success continued into the 2025 Champions Trophy, where India once again went unbeaten and lifted the title after defeating New Zealand in the final.
Imagine if we had won the final (2023 World Cup), to go undefeated in three ICC tournaments is crazy. But I will take this. Winning 23 games in 24 games is unheard of. 23 wins in 24 games looks very nice from the outside but the team has gone through a lot of ups and downs. We had some really tough times as well. But when you do things like this, you’ve got to celebrate, and you deserve everything that is there. So I feel that all the people who played these three tournaments deserve respect.
With back-to-back ICC trophies, he cemented his legacy as one of India’s greatest captains. In his last 24 ICC tournament matches as captain, Rohit Sharma won an astonishing 23 games, with the only loss coming in the 2023 ODI World Cup final. This outstanding record gives him an incredible win percentage of 89.65% in ICC tournaments. His ability to lead from the front, keep the team united, and focus on collective success has made him a true game-changer in Indian cricket. However, while speaking, Rohit Sharma still couldn’t shake off the heartbreak of the 2023 ODI World Cup final loss.
Rohit Sharma’s Reaction to Home Series Defeats vs New Zealand & BGT!
The past nine months have been a rollercoaster for the Indian cricket team and their captain, Rohit Sharma. It all started with IPL 2024, where Rohit was removed as Mumbai Indians’ captain, and under Hardik Pandya’s leadership, the team finished in last place. Rohit had a decent personal performance, scoring 417 runs in 14 matches at an average of 32.08 and a strike rate of 150.00. However, after a disappointing IPL season, he bounced back as the captain of the Indian team in the 2024 T20 World Cup. India dominated the tournament, winning every match, and Rohit led from the front, finishing as the team’s top scorer with 257 runs in 8 innings at an average of 36.71. India lifted the trophy, and massive celebrations followed, including a grand bus parade.
It’s for any sportsman when they are going through something and there is a low, they want to fight back, bounce back and try and make whatever is in front of you into a high. Thereafter, we had a bit of a low where we lost a home series and we didn’t play well in Australia. And then came the Champions Trophy. These nine months were a perfect example of how life is. It is always going to be up and down. My career for 17-18 years has always been up and down, which has taught me so many things in life. These nine months were no different.
But soon after, Rohit faced the toughest phase of his career. India lost a home Test series against New Zealand 3-0, marking the first time in 12 years that an Indian captain had lost a Test series at home. Rohit struggled with the bat, managing only 91 runs in six innings. Things got worse when India traveled to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where they lost 3-1. Rohit’s form dipped further as he scored just 31 runs across five innings. With these back-to-back defeats, speculation grew about removing him as captain.
Despite the setbacks, Rohit remained determined. He found his form again with a crucial century in the second ODI against England, which helped silence the critics. His return to form earned him the captaincy for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. Here, he reminded himself of the words he said in the Mumbai Indians camp earlier:
Whether we win, whether we lose, we have to smile. It is a very simple line, but it means a lot. Whatever happens, at the end of the day, you have to find a way to smile, be happy and find peace with it. That is why, at MI, when we speak about this as players, as a team, we always talk about finding a way to move on, whether we win or we lose. Moving on from a loss, from a low is not easy. How you motivate yourself at that time, how you cheer yourself up, how you bring a smile to your face is important, because life doesn’t end here. After a low, the sun will rise again the next day. You will have to wake up again and find a way to fight the day. If you can find a way to forget that moment and smile, nothing like it.
In the Champions Trophy, India remained unbeaten, though Rohit had an inconsistent tournament with the bat. However, when it mattered most in the final against New Zealand, he stepped up and played a brilliant knock of 76 runs, guiding India to victory. With this win, Rohit Sharma secured his second ICC trophy in just nine months, proving his resilience and leadership despite all the ups and downs.
What’s Next for Rohit Sharma?
After becoming the second Indian captain after MS Dhoni to win two ICC titles, Rohit Sharma has cemented his legacy in Indian cricket. In the IPL, he is already one of the most successful captains, having led Mumbai Indians to five titles and winning another as a player. As the IPL 2025 season approaches, Rohit will aim for his seventh title, but this time as a player under Hardik Pandya’s captaincy. Despite stepping down from leadership, he will focus on delivering explosive performances at the top of the order.
My immediate goal is obviously to try and bring the glory back to MI, win the trophy here. But we do understand it takes a lot of hard work. It needs a lot of things to click together. That is the challenge of the IPL. To win 17 games, is like half the T20 season, but you play that in two months. So that is a challenge. There are a lot of boxes which you need to tick and then get to the trophy.
Throughout his IPL career, Rohit has played 259 matches, scoring 6,636 runs at an average of 29.49 with a strike rate of 131.09. While his franchise future seems clear, his plans for international cricket remain uncertain. Rohit has not yet spoken about his long-term goals with Team India, but many believe he could be eyeing the 2027 ODI World Cup as a captain. For now, fans eagerly await his next move as he continues to make an impact on the game.
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