Rohit Sharma Contemplates Retirement After ODI World Cup Heartbreak
Rohit Sharma's Reflection on Early Retirement
Rohit Sharma, the former captain of India, recently disclosed that he contemplated retiring early from cricket following the team's devastating loss to Australia in the ODI World Cup 2023 Final held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in November 2023.
Entering the final as strong favorites, the Indian team, under Rohit's leadership, had an impressive record, winning all 10 matches, including a semifinal against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. However, they fell short in the final, continuing their long wait for the ICC ODI World Cup title.
Despite being the tournament hosts, India was outperformed by a disciplined Australian team, leaving both players and fans in despair and prompting Rohit to seriously consider his future in cricket.
A Personal Struggle
During a convocation ceremony in Gurgoan, Rohit shared his feelings about the aftermath of the World Cup final loss. He expressed that the defeat was particularly hard for him, as he had invested significant effort into preparing the team for victory.
"Everyone was incredibly disappointed, and it was hard to comprehend what had transpired. Personally, it was a very challenging time because I had dedicated myself to this World Cup since taking over the captaincy in 2022," the 38-year-old remarked.
"Winning the World Cup was my sole objective, whether it was the T20 or the 2023 edition. When that didn’t materialize, I felt utterly crushed. It took me a couple of months to recover and regain my motivation," he added.
Learning from Setbacks
Rohit acknowledged that the defeat in the 2023 ODI World Cup Final was a bitter pill to swallow, but he learned valuable lessons from the experience and redirected his focus towards the upcoming T20 World Cup in 2024.
"When you invest so much into something and don’t achieve the desired outcome, it’s a natural reaction to feel disheartened. However, I realized that life continues beyond that moment. It taught me how to handle disappointment, reset, and start anew," he stated.
"I knew the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies was on the horizon, and I had to concentrate all my efforts on that. While it’s easy to say now, it was incredibly tough at that time," he concluded.
Resilience and Comeback
Seven months after the heartbreaking loss in the ODI World Cup final, Rohit Sharma led Team India to victory in the T20 World Cup, defeating South Africa in the final held in Barbados. This year, he also guided the team to triumph in the Champions Trophy against New Zealand.
These two ICC victories following the World Cup final defeat helped Rohit silence critics regarding his leadership abilities.
Contemplating Retirement
Rohit further revealed that he seriously considered retirement after the World Cup defeat, but his desire to rebound from the setback ultimately prevailed over his thoughts of leaving the sport.
"At one point, I genuinely felt like I didn’t want to continue playing because it had drained me completely. It took time, energy, and self-reflection to find my way back," he shared.
"I kept reminding myself of my love for the game, which was right in front of me, and I couldn’t let it slip away so easily. Gradually, I regained my energy and got back on the field," he added.
Rohit announced his retirement from T20Is after last year's T20 World Cup victory and stepped away from Test cricket after losing the captaincy earlier this year. Although he was relieved of his ODI captaincy, he continues to play with the aim of extending his career until the 2027 ODI World Cup.