India captain Rohit Sharma has finally spoken out about the World Cup 2023 Final defeat, admitting that it was difficult for him to move on from the disappointment he experienced on the big night. In an interview with the Mumbai Indians, Rohit thanked his family and fans for assisting him in putting the heartbreaking loss behind him and getting back to work ahead of his return to competitive cricket in the upcoming Test series in South Africa.
Rohit Sharma said he felt helpless after the big World Cup final in Ahmedabad. On November 19, Rohit struggled to hold back tears after India lost to Australia in a one-sided final.
Rohit Sharma fell one step short of becoming the third Indian captain to win the 50-over World Cup. Rohit led from the front throughout the tournament, walking the talk as India put together a dominant run until the final.
Rohit Sharma finally speaks about heartbreaking loss:
India entered the ICC tournament final as favourites against Australia, one of the world’s greatest teams, for the first time in many years. At the Narendra Modi Stadium, Australia prevailed in a one-sided final thanks to a lacklustre batting display—Rohit excluded—and a remarkable hundred from Travis Head.
When senior players Rohit and Virat Kohli appeared defeated in the big final, emotions were running high. After that memorable night, neither of them had discussed the World Cup final. They both chose to take a prolonged hiatus from tournament play. Travelling abroad for a family vacation, Rohit was spotted.
“I had no idea how to come back from this. I had no clue what to do. My family and friends kept me going, and kept things pretty light around me, which was quite helpful.
It was not easy to digest, but life moves on and you have to move on. Honestly, it was tough and it was not so easy to move on. I have always grown up watching the 50-over World Cup. To me that was the ultimate prize. We have worked all these years for that World Cup. And It’s disappointing if you don’t get through it, you don’t get what you want. You get disappointed. You get frustrated as well,” Rohit Sharma said in the video.
“I thought we did everything we could from our side. If someone asked what went wrong with our side? We won 10 games and in that 10 games, we made mistakes. But those happen in every game we play. You can’t have a perfect game, you can have a near-perfect game, he added.
In addition, Rohit Sharma gave his thoughts on the team’s nearly flawless performance during the 2023 World Cup. India prevailed in ten games, including their infamous matchup with New Zealand in the semi-final. India was almost unbeatable throughout the tournament thanks to their excellent fielding, batting, and bowling.
Rohit Sharma “wanted to go somewhere”:
But Australia proved to be a better cricketing nation on the big day, winning their sixth ODI World Cup title.
After losing the World Cup final, the captain of India gave an explanation for missing the white-ball leg of the South Africa tour and the T20I series against Australia at home, saying he needed time with his family and a break.
“If I look on the other side of it, I am really proud of the team. How we played was simply outstanding. You don’t get to play like that in every World Cup. I am sure that how we played, at least up until the final, would have given people a lot of joy.”
“After that final, it was very hard to get back, and I wanted to move on which is why I decided I needed to go somewhere and get my mind out of this. But then, wherever I was, I realised people were coming to me and appreciating our effort. I feel for all of them. ALong with us, they were also dreaming of lifting the World Cup. There was so much support from everyone throughout the World Cup,” Rohit Sharma concluded.
