'Everyone Enjoyed That Process': Rohit Sharma Recalls Winning T20 World Cup 2024 And Breaking Team India's ICC Trophy Jinx

Rohit Sharma led India to ICC World Twenty20 triumph last year after a gap of 16 years and then ICC Champions  glory earlier this year in Dubai after a gap of 12 years. The batting mainstay in white-ball cricket since grabbing the opening slot during 2013 Champions Trophy winning campaign, was recently removed from ODI captaincy after announcing T20I and Test retirements.

Making a first public appearance since being removed as ODI captain during the CEAT awards, a physically fitter and leaner Rohit didn’t make any mention of current India head coach Gautam Gambhir while reflecting on the Champions Trophy triumph earlier this year. Instead, he credited the win to the processes established during former coach Rahul Dravid’s tenure, praising the team for adapting well and putting their best foot forward.

“I like the Indian team very much. I enjoyed playing with them and it’s a journey that we were all into, for many years. It’s not about one year or two years of work. It was about getting into work from many years,” Rohit said while being felicitated for the Champions Trophy triumph.

India had been to many finals and semifinals after the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy triumph but couldn’t win a trophy. The drought was ended by the Rohit-led team in 2024, who bounced back from the heartbreaking loss in the 2023 ODI World Cup final to Australia at home against Ahmedabad.

“We’d come so close to winning that trophy many times, but we couldn’t just get over the line. That is where everyone decided that we need to do something different and there’s two ways to look at it. All the guys who took part in that competition got into that thought process of how to win games and how to challenge ourselves and not be complacent and not to take anything for granted,” he said.

Dravid’s tenure as Indian head coach ended after India’s 2024 T20 World Cup win, and Gambhir was the head coach at the time of India’s Champions Trophy win in Dubai. However, Dravid and Rohit had started the process for winning formula after loss in semifinals of the 2022 T20 World Cup.

“Everyone enjoyed that process. Once we got over the line when we won the first game, we completely put that game aside and then started focusing on the next one.

That was really good from the team and that is something that helped me and Rahul bhai when we were planning for the (2024) T20 World Cup, and then on to the Champions Trophy. We just carried it well. In 2023, although we didn’t cross the line in the finals, we set out to do something as a team and everyone did that,” he added at the CEAT event.

Samson, Varun praise Rohit Sharma
While Rohit might not be the leader now but he has cracked the winning streak which even Sanju Samson acknowledged.

“It took 16 years to get the success formula thanks to Rohit bhai,” Samson said after being named CEAT T20I batsman of the year.

Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy also praised his former skipper. “I didn’t expect to be in the Champions Trophy squad, but thanks to Rohit Bhai and the coaching staff,” he said after getting the Best T2OI bowler award.

Bring on Australia series

After losing the ODI captaincy to Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma is determined to make an impact during the Australia series as a batter. Rohit last played for India during the Champions Trophy.
India will play three ODIs, starting October 19. The 38-year-old last played active cricket during the Indian Premier League for Mumbai Indians and has completely transformed himself since. He was looking fitter and leaner giving competition to the likes of Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson and Varun Chakravarthy who were also present at the CEAT awards at a city hotel on Tuesday.

“I love playing against them. I love going to Australia. It’s a very challenging country to play cricket. People there love the game as well,” he said.
Incidentally, Rohit had excelled during his first tour to Australia in early 2008 as a batter where he relished on bouncy pitches, using pull shot to great effect. He showed his class on every other tour but last time he was there during a Test series but couldn’t make an impact and pulled out from the last Test after missing the first Test initially. He later took Test retirement. The tour had come after a 3-0 loss to New Zealand at home.

“But certainly, Australia is a different challenge every time they have played against us. Having been there several times now, I do understand what to expect.Hopefully we can go there and do what the Indian team is supposed to do and get the result in our favour,” he said.

After transforming his body he wants to end on a high in what could be his last international assignment for India.

“I personally took a lot of pride in trying to excel in all three forms whenever I had the opportunity and that is something that a few others also did and that eventually rubbed off on the team as well,” Rohit said.

Published on: Wednesday, October 08, 2025, 10:27 PM IST