Some defeats don’t just stay on the scoreboard. They sit quietly in the mind, replaying themselves long after the crowd has gone home. November 19, 2023 was one such day for Indian cricket, and for Rohit Sharma, it was a breaking point. No Indian fan wants to utter that date, as they all have a dark memory of watching Glenn Maxwell hit those winning runs and crushing India’s deserving win. For the entire tournament, the Men in Blue were a better team than Australia but when it mattered the most, India failed. Australia, on the back of Travis Head, liberated.
India had swept through the ODI World Cup unbeaten, dominant and ruthless. Ten wins on the trot. One last step to glory, at home, in Ahmedabad. And then, it all slipped away. Australian pacers set it up before the batters chased down 241 with ease, leaving behind silence, disbelief and a captain who had given everything. More than a year later, Rohit has finally spoken about what that defeat did to him. He wasn’t seen in piblic for quite a few days.
‘I didn’t want to play this sport anymore’: Rohit Sharma
Speaking at a Masters Union event, Rohit admitted that the loss left him emotionally shattered, to the point where he questioned whether he could continue playing cricket at all. “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.
He explained that the disappointment wasn’t just about one bad day but years of emotional investment. “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. Rohit revealed that it took him months to even feel normal again.
“My only goal was to win the World Cup, whether it was the T20 World Cup or the 2023 World Cup. So when it didn’t happen, I was completely devastated. There was no energy left in my body. It took me a couple of months to recover and bring myself back.” Despite the pain, Rohit said he slowly reminded himself why he started playing cricket in the first place.
“I kept telling myself this is something I truly love. I couldn’t let it go so easily. Slowly, I found my way back, regaining the energy and getting myself moving again.” That reset eventually led to redemption. Less than a year later, Rohit captained India to the 2024 T20 World Cup title, followed by the Champions Trophy in 2025. “I knew life doesn’t end there. It was a big lesson for me on how to deal with disappointment, reset, and start fresh,” he said.
Now retired from Tests and T20Is, Rohit remains focused on one last goal: the 2027 ODI World Cup. The scars of 2023 haven’t faded, but they have shaped what could be the final chapter of his career. Rohit has immensely worked on his fitness and is looking to redeem himself at the mega event alongside Virat Kohli in 2027.
