Rohit Sharma Reflects on India’s Cricket Journey Post-Captaincy Shift
NEW DELHI: In his initial public comments since Shubman Gill assumed the role of India’s ODI captain, Rohit Sharma shared insights into the team’s incredible transformation. Speaking at the CEAT Cricket Rating awards in Mumbai, the seasoned opener recalled India’s journey from the heartbreak of the 2023 ODI World Cup final to clinching back-to-back ICC titles: the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy. He specifically acknowledged the profound influence of former head coach Rahul Dravid and the collective belief of the players as key drivers of this success.
“Look, I love that team, loved playing with them and it’s a journey that we were all into for many years,” Rohit stated. “It’s not about one year or two years of work. It was about getting into work from many years. We’d come so close to winning that trophy many times but we couldn’t just get over the line. That is where everyone decided that we need to do something different.”
The 38-year-old skipper highlighted that India’s recent triumphs were a direct result of a fundamental shift in mindset, a philosophy he and Dravid had meticulously cultivated during their tenure together. “There’s always a thought of doing that and then actually going and doing that. It cannot be done by one or two players. We needed everyone to buy into that thought, which was good from everyone,” Rohit explained.
During his acceptance of a memento for India’s Champions Trophy victory earlier this year, Rohit passionately detailed the meticulous process that underpinned their recent ICC dominance. “All the guys who took part in that competition got into that thought process of how to win games and how to challenge ourselves and not be complacent or take anything for granted. Those were the qualities we tried to bring in, and we thought it was a good method of just going and doing that repeatedly,” he affirmed.
The veteran batter further elaborated that the unwavering consistency and strong unity within the squad evolved into India’s most significant asset. “Everyone enjoyed that process. Once we got over the line when we won the first game, we completely put that game aside and then started focusing on the next one. That was really good from the team and that is something that helped me and Rahul bhai when we were planning for the T20 World Cup, and then on to the Champions Trophy. We just carried it well,” Rohit added.
Even with Gautam Gambhir stepping into the coaching role from Dravid before the Champions Trophy, Rohit observed that the core principles of India’s success remained steadfast. “In 2023, although we didn’t cross the line in the finals, we set out to do something as a team and everyone did that,” he concluded.
Rohit, who has now passed on India’s ODI and Test captaincy to Shubman Gill, will continue to be a vital part of the Indian setup. He is slated to travel with Virat Kohli for the upcoming three-match ODI series in Australia, commencing October 19.