Moving on wasn't easy: Rohit Sharma on WC final defeat
Rohit Sharma, who led India in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, has finally opened up on the defeat to Australia in the final in Ahmedabad. The Indian skipper, in a video on Instagram, stated that "it was very hard to get back and start moving on". India, who were unbeaten throughout the tournament, faced their first and only loss in the final.
Why does this story matter?
India were the firm favorites to lift the 50-over World Cup trophy at home. They maintained their dominance by winning nine back-to-bak matches. The Men in Blue even beat Australia in their tournament opener. However, the Aussies had the last laugh in a historic final in Ahmedabad. With a six-wicket win, they ended Rohit's dream of clinching the coveted trophy.
'It wasn't easy to digest', says Rohit
Reflecting on the loss, Rohit said that he "had no idea how to come back from this". "The first few days I didn't know what to do. You know, my family, my friends, kept me going, kept things pretty light around me, which was quite helpful. It wasn't easy to digest, but life moves on. You have to move on in life," he added.
'We were outstanding in the tournament'
India looked flawless before stumbling in the all-important final. On the same, Rohit stated, "How we played was simply outstanding. You don't get to perform like that every World Cup. And I am pretty sure I am, at least, how we played up until that final, it would have given people a lot of joy, a lot of pride watching the team play."
WATCH: Rohit speaks on India's WC 2023 journey
A near-perfect journey for Team India
India started their campaign with a six-wicket triumph in a low-scoring clash against the Aussies. They then recorded comfortable wins over Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Although the New Zealand game was a close affair, India eventually prevailed. India recorded huge victories in each of their last four league games. The team defeated the Kiwis to qualify for their fourth WC final.
WC 2023 final: India faltered in middle overs
Rohit and Shubman Gill started well for India (Australia elected to field), but the duo departed before the 100-run mark. Australia controlled the scoring rate in the middle overs as India were bundled out for 240/10. Virat Kohli and KL Rahul made fifties. India reduced the Aussies to 47/3. However, Travis Head's ton meant Australia comfortably crossed the line. Jasprit Bumrah dismissed two batters.
Rohit's form with the bat
Rohit's sublime form with the bat made a massive difference. He finished the tournament with 597 runs, now the most by a captain in a World Cup edition. As many as 401 of these runs came in the first powerplay (1-10). He went after the bowlers from the outset. Interestingly, no other batter even managed 270 runs in this phase.
A look at other notable numbers
Rohit's strike rate of 125.95 is the second-highest among batters with 450-plus runs in a WC edition. Only AB de Villiers (144.31 in 2015) is ahead of him in this regard. Rohit, who scored 40 or more in nine of the 11 games, recorded three fifties and a hundred. In the final, he made a 31-ball 47 before falling to Glenn Maxwell.
