WATCH: Skipper Rohit Sharma reflects upon India’s World Cup 2023 final loss against Australia

It has been precisely two months since India faced defeat in the World Cup final against Australia. However, Rohit Sharma, like many others, appears to still carry the lingering pain of the heartbreaking loss on the night of November 19. Despite leading India to a notable Test victory against South Africa in Cape Town and achieving a 3-0 sweep against Afghanistan just two days ago, as captain, Rohit seems to be grappling with the lasting impact of the World Cup final’s disappointment.

It was also the case that before departing for the South Africa tour, Rohit had openly acknowledged the ‘tough time’ he experienced after the loss. While Indian cricket attempted to move forward, Rohit seemed to be gradually overcoming the setback. However, it appeared that his wounds resurfaced when confronted with a question about that evening in Ahmedabad. Responding to queries about how he regained the right mindset, Rohit hesitated before emphasizing the significance of the 50-over World Cup and expressing what winning it would have signified to him.

“See, I don’t want to think about it now. Absolutely (on the visible disappointment on his face). The 50-over World Cup for me is the biggest prize of them all. It’s not like I don’t consider the T20 World Cup or the World Test Championship important, but we’ve grown up watching the 50-over World Cup. And when it’s in India, it’s a big deal. We tried, but unfortunately couldn’t do it. The whole team was upset, fans were too. But now the opportunity that we have, we will try to get the most out of it and win the World Cup,” Rohit told the official broadcaster after the match.

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I have been practising those shots a lot: Rohit Sharma

During his innings of 121 against Afghanistan, India’s captain Rohit Sharma displayed remarkable batting skills, attempting unconventional shots like reverse sweeps and switch hits. Though not known for such tactics, Rohit admitted to working on these shots for the last two years, emphasizing the importance of creative thinking to stay ahead of the opposition.

“I have been practising those shots a lot. If you have to put pressure on bowlers on pitches when it’s turning, and you can’t hit straight, you have to find ways. You have to try something different. The reverse sweep and the sweep shots I have been practising over the last two years. I’ve executed them a couple of times in Tests too so yeah, you just need to have more options. When the ball was spinning, turning and gripping, I thought why not, let’s play some of it,” the Rohit concluded.