Rohit Sharma won India the T20 World Cup 2024 and retired from the format.
After leading India to victory in the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies in 2024, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja retired from T20Is.
The reality of missing a worldwide event, according to the 36-year-old, is more painful than missing bilateral games.
"We were talking about this at home, that it will be strange watching it from home, especially the T20 World Cup. From the time it started until now, I have been part of every World Cup, so it will feel different.
When you miss a World Cup, the reality really sinks in. That's when you realize you're not going to be part of it. However, I will be somewhere in the stadium. It won't be the same, but it will be a different experience,” Rohit said on a JioHotstar show.
While talking about his captaincy tenure, Rohit Sharma highlighted that making difficult selection decisions while preserving respect and trust in the dressing room was one of the most important components of leadership at the top level.
Rohit cited Shreyas Iyer's exclusion from both the Asia Cup and the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia as an example of how squad balance and multi-skill requirements frequently affected selections.
"There have been many such instances of taking hard calls before World Cups. You will not be able to please everyone, but it is important for the individual to know why a decision is taken. We felt we needed someone who could give us a little more with the ball. That's why we went with Deepak Hooda, who was in good form at the time. Shreyas would have felt bad, and Deepak would have been happy—that's how it works," Rohit stated, explaining that he and Rahul Dravid personally spoke to Shreyas Iyer.
Rohit Sharma further revealed that similar conversations were held with Yuzvendra Chahal, who was not picked for the 2023 World Cup at home, and with Mohammed Siraj, who was dropped from India’s squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
"For us, it is important to understand how we can make the best use of the 15 players in the squad. As long as you have a valid reason and you explain it properly, that is fine. I always wanted an openness to discuss anything, not just cricket, but life as well. There are no boundaries; there is always an open door," he said.
Speaking about the forthcoming T20 World Cup, Rohit said he was confident in the current Indian team, citing stability, unity, and a youthful core as advantages.
"About 80 to 90 percent of the squad has remained the same since the last T20 World Cup. They have been playing together for almost two years now, which creates a strong understanding. When you are heading into a World Cup, the only aim is to win it. For that, you need open conversations and sometimes hard conversations as well," Rohit stated.
India will begin the defense of their T20 World Cup title with a match against the USA on February 7 in Mumbai.
(PTI inputs)