Team India were on an unbeaten streak of 10 matches in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, but they suffered a heartbreaking six-wicket defeat at the hands of Australia in the title clash in Ahmedabad on November 19.
After losing the final, India’s star cricketers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were in tears, which made the fans emotional and also broke veteran spinner R Ashwin’s heart.
Speaking to former India cricketer S Badrinath on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said the 2023 team was one of the best ever in the World Cup but winning the title was just not meant to be.
"Yes, we felt the pain. Rohit and Virat were crying. Seeing that it felt bad. Anyways, not meant to be," Ashwin stated
"This team was an experienced team. Everybody knew what to do. And then, it was professional. Everybody knew their routines, warm-ups. I think two natural leaders gave the team the space to do these two and created a vibe," he added, referring to Rohit and Virat.
India may have failed to cross the final hurdle but skipper Rohit Sharma impressed one and all with his leadership and batting in the showpiece event.
Rohit batted with a fearless approach throughout the tournament, amassing 597 runs from 11 innings at an impressive average of 54.27 and a remarkable strike rate of 125.94, including one hundred and three fifties.
Ashwin heaped praise on Rohit’s leadership, saying: "If you look at Indian cricket, everybody will tell you MS Dhoni is one of the best captains. Rohit Sharma is an outstanding person. He understands every single person in the team, he knows what each one of us likes and dislikes. He has a great understanding. He puts in the effort to know each member personally."
"He puts in a lot of effort. Forgoes sleep and becomes part of meetings, he first puts in the effort. He takes an effort to understand how to explain tactics to each person. That's an advanced level of leadership in Indian cricket," he remarked.
Commenting on Rohit’s batting, Ashwin said the Indian captain walked the talk and took the fear of losing away from the team with his attacking brand of cricket.
"And also, walking the talk. Telling everyone to play a brand of cricket is one thing, but doing it and showing it on the field is another thing. I have known Rohit for a long time," Ashwin said.
"What he did at the top set the ball rolling. he gave us the confidence. He said 'it's okay if we get out for 150. At least we will set the tone, instill fear'. I think all 11 in the team had a great World Cup," he concluded.
