New Delhi [India], April 16 (ANI): India skipper Rohit Sharma opened up about the emotional highs and lows leading up to India’s Champions Trophy win, and how his mindset around the game has evolved over the years.
Speaking on Michael Clarke’s Beyond23 Cricket Podcast, Rohit reflected on the journey.
“Yeah, it was, it was,” Rohit said when asked about the significance of the Champions Trophy win.
“We had to go through so many lows before that tournament began. We didn’t have a great home series against New Zealand and then Australia as well. So we wanted to turn things back. We wanted to bounce back,” he added.
Rohit credited the team’s clarity and unity for their turnaround.
“It’s just that playing with this bunch of guys who are so clear in their mind what they want to do and how they want to achieve it. It’s one thing to talk about, okay, I want to go and achieve this, but how do you do that? That is the clarity everyone has in the squad,” he said.
India’s consistency in selection also played a role.
“We tried and kept the same, pretty much similar squad of what we had during the World Cup, 50-over World Cup, because I thought we played really good. So I don’t think, or I don’t see any reason that we need to change anybody. Unless there is an injury problem, which we had in Bumrah — we did not have him,” Rohit added.
He also emphasized the importance of collective effort over individual brilliance.
“I think that’s what team sport is. You can’t honestly rely on one or two individuals. And that is the talk that has been happening constantly in this changing room — that we’re not going to be relying on one or two individuals. We need contributions from everyone and that is what all these guys were up to. They wanted to contribute,” he noted.
Beyond tactical talk, Rohit also shared how his perspective as a cricketer has shifted over time.
“It’s all about staying with the team, enjoying that moment, creating memories,” Rohit said.
“At the start, it’s all about scoring runs. I want to score. I want to perform. I want to take that pressure on me. As you keep playing, you realize that… I don’t think it’s all about scoring runs. It’s about winning games. It’s about winning trophies. It’s about winning tournaments,” he added.
Rohit pointed to a defining moment in his career — the 2019 World Cup.
“I got five hundreds in that World Cup, but we ended up losing the semis and I sat on the flight next day realizing, all these runs are of no use. If you’re not going to go through all the way, then it’s no use,” he said.
That tournament, he says, shifted his focus entirely.
“From there onwards, I think my mindset changed and it was all about just winning games, winning tournaments, winning championships — just that,” he noted. (ANI)
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