‘That’s the bottom line’: Rohit Sharma reveals India’s big dream

Rohit Sharma (Photo: BCCI) Former Indian captain and T20 World Cup winner Rohit Sharma, who played for Team India for almost two decades, shared that Indian cricket is moving in the right direction, both in terms of results and mindset, as he expressed his wish to see India establish itself as an undisputed powerhouse in world cricket.Speaking during the Indians’ ESA Day event in Mumbai, Rohit reflected on India’s remarkable success across formats and tournaments in recent years, crediting the country’s growing cricket structure for consistent performances on the global stage.“I want India to be a powerhouse in world cricket…that’s the bottom line because I want India to be the best and cricket is up there. What we’ve done in the last three years has been great to watch. From the 2024 World Cup, the Women’s World Cup, the U19 World Cup, the ICC Champions Trophy and the next T20 World Cup. I hope we continue to win the Roh Sastre. Rohit also spoke about how dramatically the game has evolved since the start of his international journey, particularly in white-ball cricket, where batting approaches have become significantly more aggressive.“When we started, 130-140 was a good score but nowadays it is difficult. Now it seems that any score one gets is not very convincing. That is the story that tells you how the game has gone over the years,” he said.According to the former MI captain, the fearlessness displayed by modern-day cricketers has taken the sport to greater heights.“People have become more fearless, more open about how they should do things, which is a good sign for the sport, the game and the league. The players are not afraid to step forward rather than be conservative. It will continue to do so in the years to come, reaching greater heights,” he said.Discussing the next generation of cricketers, Rohit emphasized the importance of allowing youngsters to enjoy the game without burdening them with expectations too early.“It depends on the age. I know there are kids from six to 18. You don’t want to put too much pressure on a kid so early in their life. They should just enjoy the sport, watch and play with their friends. That’s how it all started for me. The situation tells you what’s important at the moment.” Enjoy the sport you want to play. No one can force you.Rohit was declared fully fit before the last game of MI IPL 2026Meanwhile, Rohit has also regained fitness in time ahead of Mumbai Indians’ final league match of IPL 2026 against Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium. The veteran opener has been officially declared ‘100% fit’ after battling injury interruptions throughout the season.Despite appearing in only eight matches, Rohit still managed to impress with the bat, scoring 283 runs at an impressive average of 40.42 and a strike rate of 160.70. His standout performances this season include a whopping 84 off 44 balls against Lucknow Super Giants and a stupendous 78 off just 38 deliveries against Kolkata Knight Riders.