In his first public remarks since being replaced as India’s ODI captain, Rohit Sharma reflected on the team’s remarkable turnaround from the heartbreak of the 2023 ODI World Cup final to securing the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy. Speaking at the CEAT Cricket Rating awards in Mumbai on Tuesday, October 7, the veteran opener credited former head coach Rahul Dravid and the players’ shared vision for driving India’s resurgence.
After being felicitated for making the team victorious in the Champions Trophy, Rohit Said, “Look, I love that team, loved playing with them and it's a journey that we were all into for many years,” Rohit said. “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.”
Rohit highlighted how India’s transformation stemmed from a mindset shift he and Dravid introduced. He explained, “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,”.
Champions Trophy win fueled by consistency
Reflecting on India’s Champions Trophy win earlier this year, Rohit said the team’s disciplined process and hunger for improvement made all the difference. He said, “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,”
The veteran batter praised the team’s consistency and togetherness as key to India’s dominance. He added, “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,”
Gambhir continues winning foundation
Even as Gautam Gambhir took over the coaching reins before the Champions Trophy, Rohit said the foundation laid under Dravid remained intact. “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 said.
Having handed over the ODI and Test captaincy to Shubman Gill, Rohit remains a vital part of India’s setup. He is set to travel with Virat Kohli for the upcoming three-match ODI series in Australia, beginning October 19.
