“Felt like I didn’t want to play this sport anymore” - Rohit Sharma strolls down memory lane to ICC ODI World Cup 2023 defeat

Former Indian captain Rohit Sharma has revealed that it was a tough moment for him and the whole team after losing the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 final against Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Moving into the details of the grand finale of the mega event in November 2023, India could muster only 240 runs in 50 overs. In the chase, Australia finished off the game in 43 overs with six wickets in hand, thanks to Travis Head’s 137-run knock off 120 balls.

Speaking at the Masters' Union Convocation 2025 event, Rohit went on to disclose that his only goal was to win a World Cup for Team India when he took over captaincy in 2022, adding that everyone in the Indian dressing room was extremely disappointed after the WC loss.

"Everybody was extremely disappointed, and we just couldn’t believe what had happened. 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,” Rohit Sharma said.

"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," he added.

It’s important to note that, a few months later, Rohit, who had to reset quickly, propelled the Indian side to the T20 World Cup title victory in June 2024 in Barbados. However, he added that the WC 2023 loss was so painful that he felt that he had nothing left to give to the game of cricket. 

After winning the T20 World Cup 2024, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli bid adieu to the shortest format of the game. They are currently aiming to play the ICC ODI World Cup 2027 in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.

"I guess when you invest so much into something and don’t achieve the result, it’s a very natural reaction. That’s exactly what happened with me. But I also knew that life doesn’t end there. It was a big lesson for me how to deal with disappointment, reset, and start fresh. I knew that something else was coming the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies and I had to shift all my focus towards that. It’s very easy to say this now, but at that moment, it was extremely difficult,” he stated.

"At one point, I honestly 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," he noted.

"It took some time, a lot of energy, and self-reflection to get back. I kept reminding myself that this is something I truly love, that it was right in front of me, and I couldn’t let it go so easily. Slowly, I found my way back putting in the effort, regaining the energy, and getting myself moving again on the field," he concluded.

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