As Rohit Sharma gears up to lead India in his ninth ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the veteran opener and captain reflected on his legacy and his desire to inspire the younger generation.
Rohit is one of only two players, alongside Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan, to have played in every edition of the T20 World Cup since its inception.
“It is quite exciting (playing another T20 World Cup),” Rohit told the ICC recently. “I never thought about it, honestly speaking. But it is nice having played all the T20 World Cups. And I’ve enjoyed every bit of it. When you come to ICC tournaments, it is always exciting, [and] brings a lot of new challenges.”
Rohit’s T20 World Cup journey began spectacularly in 2007, when he smashed a half-century in his first innings, earning the Player of the Match award in a crucial game against South Africa. However, his most vivid memory from that tournament is the iconic bowl-out against Pakistan.
“I think the first thing that comes to my mind is the bowl-out that we had against Pakistan,” Rohit said. “I think that was the first-ever bowl-out that happened, and for us to come out on top was even more exciting. You know, it has never happened before. No teams have done it in the World Cup.
“So it was quite exciting for us to have a crack at it and come out on top eventually. And I still remember that after our normal training, we used to train for bowl-outs, which was quite exciting. Everyone used to participate in that bowl-out.
“And we knew at some stage we have to have, we have to play and win that game through bowl-out. And that’s exactly what happened when we played a game against Pakistan. And like I said, it was nice to come out on top.”
Discussing the evolution of the T20 format, Rohit remarked on how it has surpassed initial expectations.
“Honestly speaking, when it started, we had no clue about how it was going to make a mark on world cricket. Now that we sit back after playing the first inaugural World Cup, which was in 2007, and we are in 2024 now. 17 years have passed by.
“Every year you see the style of play, how players have evolved playing this format. It is quite exciting and I never thought it would reach this level because when it started, obviously it was a very unknown factor to the world as to what this format will bring to the world. I must say that it has actually reached a level where nobody believed. But that’s also a lot to do with how the players have, each country and the players have evolved with the game and taken it to the next level.”
Emphasizing that winning a World Cup is the “most prestigious” achievement for a player, Rohit expressed his hope to leave a lasting impact on future cricketers.
“Look, it’s always been the dream to win World Cups. Winning the World Cup is the most prestigious thing that you can ever do. And for me, nothing changes from all the World Cups that I have played. I always wanted to win and I will still keep driving towards that,” he added.
“As a player of the national team, our responsibility is to encourage the next generation to take up the sport and play the sport. So I think that is something that I want to leave behind, leave a mark on the next generation who are going to follow us, the way we play, the way we carry ourselves on the field.
“Those are the things that I’ll be really proud of if I can leave something behind on those lines. I think it’s mental, to keep myself calm and enjoy the sport, enjoy every bit of it.
“I think it’s important that you try to be in the moment, enjoy that present moment, and leave the rest up to the Almighty. Because I think it’s important that you keep doing what you’re supposed to do be sincere in your work ethic, and be true to the sport. And I think if I can do all of that, that’s perfect.”
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