Team India have achieved unprecedented success in recent ICC white-ball tournaments, winning 30 of their last 32 completed matches. This incredible run highlights their status as a leading force in world cricket.
The Men in Blue have also made 4 consecutive global tournament finals, winning three and losing one. The triumphs include two T20 World Cup titles and a Champions Trophy.
Besides, the Indian women’s team scripted history last year by clinching their maiden ODI World Cup trophy. In 2025, the women's U-19 team also bagged the global T20 title.
India began 2026 in a blockbuster manner as their men’s U-19 team secured the World Cup for a record-extending sixth time, followed by Suryakumar Yadav’s men defending the T20 World Cup title at home.
Reflecting on the success, former skipper Rohit Sharma hoped that India's men's and women's teams will build on their momentum of winning T20 and ODI World Cup respectively, and will bring more laurels to the country in future.
Notably, Rohit was at the captain who initiated this ICC title-winning spree by leading the team to T20 World Cup win in 2024.
“I am very happy and very proud to see what we have been seeing for the last couple of years now,” Rohit, the face of the T20 Mumbai League, said during the announcement of the fourth edition for men and an inaugural women’s competition.
“To come out with flying colours and achieve what we have achieved, not just the men's team but also the women's team winning that World Cup in (Navi) Mumbai was fantastic to watch," he added.
The veteran opener hoped that more ICC titles are on India's way. “Recently, the men's team, what they did was phenomenal. I hope this is just the start, there is no looking back from here because once you get that momentum… we often talk about momentum and now both the men's and women's teams have that momentum. All I hope is that we carry this momentum forward,” he stated.
Rohit also acknowledged the contribution of people who work “behind the scenes” to make the success possible.
“There is no secret to success, it's all about hard work. The men's and women's team have worked really hard to achieve what they have achieved today,” Rohit said.
“Of course, it's not just about the players who perform on the field, there are so many people behind the scene who have put in so much of hard work into that success so that the team can have success. A lot of people and personnel to give thanks to,” he remarked.
Apart from the putting in the hard yards, Rohit stressed the importance of luck for a player growing up.
“When players are picked in the national team there is a reason why they've been picked. We have seen there is so much competition in our country when we talk about cricket. Right from U-14s you got to be lucky; of course you need the talent to find success but you also got to be lucky to be at the right time at the right place for people to notice you.
“Sometimes you can be as talented as you can be but if people are not watching you, then you can be slightly unlucky. You got to lucky as well but there is no substitute to hard work and that is not just with the Mumbaikars but also with the players who are representing the country,” he said.
The T20 Mumbai League returned after a six-year hiatus last year and the eight-team men's league will also have a three-team women's competition taking place concurrently this season.
“It was a tough task right after the IPL got over and monsoon had just started. I got to give credit to each and every member of the MCA (Mumbai Cricket Association) to pull that through, making three games in a day happen is not easy.
"Also a big, big round of applause to all the groundsmen as well who put their hands up and got the grounds ready, which is why I said there is no substitute to hard work. With three new (women's) teams added, it's getting bigger,” Rohit said.
(With PTI Inputs)
