Cricket Twitter Reactions

'Es bar dekha do sabko hitman' - Fans react as Rohit Sharma recounts bittersweet memories of 2011 ODI World Cup 

Rohit Sharma recounted bittersweet memories of 2011 ODI World Cup while participating in one of the legs of 2023 World Cup Tour in Barbados.

author-image
Daniel S
New Update
Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma (Source: Twitter)

Rohit Sharma's 10-year-old tweet about not being picked in India's 2011 World Cup squad had gone viral when he was named ODI captain in December 2021. After 12 years, the 36-year-old is set to lead the Men in Blue at the prestigious event, which begins on October 5 in India. The 2023 World Cup would be a crucial tournament for the Mumbai Indians captain to prove his captaincy brilliance at the international level by ending India's drought of a major championship.

Under MS Dhoni's guidance in 2011, India became the first home side to win a World Cup. Since the legendary cricketer guided India to victory in the 2013 Champions Trophy, Team India has failed to win any major multi-national events. As Rohit took part in one of the legs of the 2023 World Cup Tour in Barbados, the opening batter recounted his bittersweet memories of the 2011 ODI World Cup.

I decided I was not going to watch the World Cup: Rohit 

Despite playing a key role in India's 2007 T20 WC victory, Rohit failed to find a place in the 2011 WC squad. "Really really disappointed of not being the part of the WC squad..I need to move on from here..but honestly it was a big setback..any views!," Rohit had tweeted on January 31, 2011. The Mumbai cricketer was considered one of the future stars, but he was disappointed by an unexpected omission that restricted him from even watching the match live at the venue.

"2011 was a memorable one for all of us, I remember watching it from home, every single match, every single ball which was being bowled and that was being played. There were two kinds of emotions, one was obviously I was not a part of it, so I was a little disappointed. I decided I was not going to watch the World Cup, but again, the second memory I remember was that India was playing so well, the quarter-finals onwards," Rohit said in Barbados.

"You know, the big quarter-final was against Australia. I know how the pressure is on all these players when playing these games. I can only imagine the pressure that each player must have gone through at that time, and then the semi-finals against Australia. It was a brilliant finish by Yuvi and Raina at the end," he added.

Rohit was instrumental in India's run to the semi-finals in the last two World Cup editions. Notably, the right-hander was the highest run scorer in the 2019 WC with staggering five centuries at a healthy strike rate.

Here's how fans reacted to Rohit Sharma sharing his memories of the 2011 ODI World Cup:

rohit sharma ODI World Cup 2023 India World Cup 2023 2011 World Cup