Former India ODI captain Rohit Sharma has opened up about the heartbreak of the 2023 World Cup final, saying he considered retirement after the loss to Australia. Rohit brilliantly led India from the front during the tournament as the hosts went unbeaten to the final in Ahmedabad. Rohit scored 597 runs in 11 matches during the tournament at an average of 54.27 and a strike rate of 125.94.
In the summit clash, they ran into Australia, who executed their plans effectively against a rampant Indian side. India could only muster 240 runs in their 50 oversand the target was easily chased down by the Australians with six wickets remaining on the back of Travis Head’s 137 off 120 balls.At an event, Rohit was asked about his emotions after the loss and how he bounced back.
The former Indian ODI captain said it was a tough time for him personally as his goal was to win the World Cup after captaining the team in 2022.
“Everyone was extremely disappointed and we just couldn’t believe what had happened. It was a very difficult time for me personally because I gave everything to this World Cup not only two or three months before it, but since I took over the captaincy in 2022.”
“My only aim was to win the World Cup, be it the T20 World Cup or the 2023 World Cup. So when it didn’t happen, I was completely devastated. I had no energy left in my body. It took me a few months to recover and come back,” Rohit said.
“After the loss in Ahmedabad, I honestly felt that I don’t want to play this cricket anymore.
Rohit Sharma talked about what happened after losing the 2023 World Cup final in Ahmedabad.-
“Everyone was extremely disappointed and we just couldn’t believe what had happened pic.twitter.com/wpKUjYvMYl— (@rushiii_12) December 21, 2025
‘HE DIDN’T WANT TO PLAY HER’
Rohit said that while he had to reset quickly for the T20 World Cup in 2024, the sting of the loss was so painful that he felt he had nothing more to give to the sport.
“I think when you invest so much in something and you don’t get a result, it’s a very natural reaction. That’s exactly what happened to me. But I also knew that life doesn’t end there. It was a big lesson for me to deal with disappointment, reset and start again. I knew something else was coming in the T20 World Cup 2024 in USA and West Indies, but now I had to move towards it very easily everything. It was extremely difficult at the time.”
“At one point I honestly felt that I didn’t want to play the sport anymore because it took everything out of me and I felt like I had nothing left,” Rohit said.
Rohit said he was slowly able to regain the motivation to play again.
“It took some time, a lot of energy and self-reflection to get back. I kept reminding myself that this is something that I really love, that it was right in front of me and I couldn’t let it go that easily. I slowly found my way back, put effort into it, regained my energy and started moving again on the field,” Rohit said.
Things turned out well for Rohit when he became the captain India to the 2024 T20 World Cup titlebefore announcing his departure from the format.
– The end
Published on:
December 21, 2025
