Rohit Sharma opens up on how the 2023 World Cup loss affected him in his career

Rohit Sharma (Pic: X/@ImRo45)

Team India's Rohit Sharma recently spoke about how the ODI World Cup 2023 final loss against Australia had affected him and how he managed to bounce back from the disappointment.

Speaking at the Master Union event, the right-hander revealed that he thought of giving up on the sport after the loss against the Aussies in Ahmedabad.

"After 2023 World Cup final, I was completed distraught and felt like I didn't want to play this sport anymore because it had taken everything out of me and I felt I had nothing left," he said.

Later, he also stated that it took him months to find his form back and regain his energy.

"It took some time and I kept reminding myself that this is something I truly love, that it was right in front of me, and I couldn't let it go so easy. Slowly, I found my way back, regaining the energy and getting myself moving again on the field," said the Nagpur-born cricketer.

"Everybody was extremely disappointed, and we just couldn't believe what had happened. It was a very tough time for me personally because I had put everything into that World Cup not just two or three months before it, but ever since I took over the captaincy in 2022," he added.

Rohit then revealed that his plan had always been to clinch the T20 World Cup or ODI World Cup title under his captaincy.

"My only goal was to win the World Cup, whether it was the T20 World Cup or the 2023 World Cup. So when it didn't happen, I was completely devastated. There was no energy left in my body. It took me a couple of months to recover and bring myself back," he said.

The cricketer then stated that he took it as a lesson to deal with disappointment and bounce back.

"I guess when you invest so much into something and don't achieve the result, it's a very natural reaction. That's exactly what happened with me. But I also knew that life doesn't end there. It was a big lesson for me how to deal with disappointment, reset, and start fresh. I knew that something else was coming the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies and I had to shift all my focus towards that," said the 38-year-old cricketer.

"It's very easy to say this now, but at that moment, it was extremely difficult," concluded Rohit.

(With PTI Inputs)