India's Dominance Under Rohit Sharma
Team India has won two ICC trophies in a year, both with Rohit Sharma as the captain. The team won the T20 World Cup in the previous year and most recently won the ICC Champions Trophy. Incidentally, India was unbeaten in both the tournaments. Rohit had earlier stated his retirement from T20 internationals after the previous T20 World Cup. In a recent video, he explained that his thought process changed after the 2022 T20 World Cup.
The Journey Since 2022
Rohit reminisced about India's journey since the 2022 T20 World Cup, in which they had been knocked out of the semi-finals after losing to England by 10 wickets.
Our planning was done after the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. Having lost the semi-final, we laid out clear roles for each player. We talked about our expectations and pushed them to be bold. Though we lost some series in between, we remained process-oriented.
He pointed out that if India had won the 2023 ODI World Cup, winning three consecutive ICC tournaments without suffering a single defeat would have been historic. However, even with 22 victories in 23 matches, they failed to make it. Rohit stressed that the team had earned the right to celebrate their recent success.
"Challenges were faced but we were strong. All the players who played in these three tournaments should be given a lot of respect. We lost the home Test series and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia after the 2024 T20 World Cup. But we came back to win the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 without losing a single match. These last nine months are really the highs and lows of life."
Mumbai Indians' Struggles in IPL 2024
Mumbai Indians ended on the last spot in the 2024 season of the IPL, and the change in captaincy affected them. But Rohit had made up his mind that the T20 World Cup would be his last short-term tournament.
"Mumbai Indians had a tough time in the IPL 2024 season. We did not play our cricket because of various reasons. But post-IPL, I was completely geared up for the T20 World Cup, as I knew it would be my last. I wanted it to be memorable. Without the support of my teammates, we would not have been able to win. We played together, became champions, and took the trophy back home. All of us gave our best with passion during the tournament."
Rohit Sharma's leadership legacy is unmatched, with India's consecutive ICC victories solidifying his position among the all-time great captains in cricket.
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