Rohit Sharma said that he is not the person who thinks about what kind of legacy he will leave as India's captain as he prepares for two big events in the Asia Cup 2023 and the World Cup tournaments.
India has been without an ICC trophy since the 2013 Champions Trophy which was won under MS Dhoni and though the Men in Blue have reached the knockout stages on most of the occasions in recent ICC events, they have not been able to go past it and lift the big trophy.
Rohit Sharma also failed to do so in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 last year, when England hammered India by 10 wickets in the semi-final.
Rohit has won five IPL titles as Mumbai Indians captain, Asia Cup as India captain (2018), and led the team to the World Test Championship final as recently as June this year.
During an interview, he was asked whether he thinks about his legacy after playing for India for 16 years now and being captain of the side for the last 2 years.
Rohit replied: “No. I am not the person who thinks about what kind of legacy I will leave behind. My legacy will be for people to judge and talk about. Not for me to say."
“I am not a firm believer in numbers. You should be happy and enjoy the time you have in front of you, and try to live in that kind of moment. I am thinking about what gives me happiness. For me, it's all about creating memories and creating a good rapport with my teammates. Be happy in whatever you get and whatever you have,” he added.
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Rohit will have an unenviable task of telling at least three out of 18 members of the core group that they won't be a part of World Cup's exclusive 15. There is a sense of déjà vu. When he was 23, Rohit didn't get a look-in in that history-making 'Class of 2011'.
"While picking the best combination, there will be guys who will miss out for various reasons, and Rahul bhai (Dravid) and I have tried our best to explain to the players why they are not in the squad. We have tried to communicate with the players after every selection and playing XI that has been announced. We talk to them face to face, one-on-one why they have not been picked," he said.
"Sometimes, I try and put myself in their shoes. When I wasn't picked in 2011, it was such a heart-breaking moment for me and I felt what's left after being dropped from a World Cup squad?"
"At the end of the day, few individuals make decisions, and we are bound to make mistakes as humans. We won't always be right," he added with a pause.
Rohit will lead the Indian team in the upcoming Asia Cup 2023 which begins in Pakistan and Sri Lanka from August 30 onwards.
(PTI inputs)
