Team India captain Rohit Sharma opened up on the ‘disasterous’ period that unfolded in his life after he missed out on India’s 2011 ODI World Cup squad. The squad under MS Dhoni went onto lift the trophy, making India two-time World champions.
Part of the 2007 T20 World Cup-winning Indian team, Rohit Sharma missed out on the 2011 World Cup owing to injuries and a prolonged period of poor form.
It was only after 2013 that Rohit became a regular in the Indian team and was later handed the captaincy in all three formats in 2022.
Reminiscing about how he felt missing the ODI World Cup squad in 2011, the 34-year-old claimed that he didn't watch any of the 2011 World Cup games save the semifinal and final.
Rohit also added that he underwent numerous adjustments in his career during that period because he understood that if things did not change for the better, it might have resulted in a 'disaster' and he would no longer be able to play cricket.
“Honestly I didn’t watch the World Cup itself except the semis and the finals because I was so disappointed that I didn’t want to watch, every time I put the TV on I felt that I could have been there, what went wrong and stuff like that,” Rohit told JioCinema.
Rohit further admitted that he had nobody but himself to blame after missing the cut. However, the setback led to Rohit making many changes to his lifestyle, to his game, and if not for that period, he knew that his ‘life was on the edge’.
“I had to make changes then or I knew wouldn’t have to play cricket anymore, I knew that my life is on the edge, if I don’t perform or if I don’t do certain things manner, this can lead up to a disaster. Then I’d have nowhere to go, it was that kind of a situation for me," he added.
Rohit Sharma went on to play in the 2015 and 2019 World Cups, scoring a record 5 centuries in the 2019 edition. He’ll lead India in the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023 in India.
