World Cup Heartbreak Nearly Ended Rohit Sharma’s Career
- By Thetripurapost Desk, Mumbai
- Dec 22, 2025
- 574
In a deeply personal and candid revelation, former India captain Rohit Sharma has admitted that the crushing defeat to Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup final left him contemplating an abrupt end to his illustrious international career. Speaking on Sunday (December 21, 2025), Rohit confessed that the emotional toll of the loss was so overwhelming that he felt the game had “taken everything out of” him, leaving nothing behind.
Under Rohit’s leadership, India had enjoyed a near-perfect campaign on home soil, storming into the final with nine consecutive victories and appearing virtually unstoppable. However, in a cruel twist of fate, Australia extinguished India’s title dreams on the grandest stage, with Travis Head’s masterful century sealing the contest in Ahmedabad.
Recalling the aftermath, Rohit revealed the depth of his despair during an appearance at a Masters Union event. “After the 2023 World Cup final, I was completely distraught. I genuinely felt I didn’t want to play this sport anymore. It felt as though cricket had drained every ounce of energy from me, and I had nothing left to give,” he said.
The defeat, he explained, was not merely the loss of a final but the shattering of a singular obsession that had defined his captaincy since 2022. “My only objective was to win the World Cup — whether it was the T20 World Cup or the 2023 ODI World Cup. When that didn’t happen, the devastation was absolute. There was no energy left in my body,” Rohit admitted.
It took months of introspection and emotional recovery for the veteran opener to rediscover his purpose. Reminding himself of his enduring love for the game, Rohit gradually rekindled the passion that had propelled him to the summit of world cricket. “This is something I truly love. It was right in front of me, and I couldn’t allow myself to let it slip away so easily,” he reflected.
The pain of November 2023, however, lingered long after the final ball was bowled. Yet, less than a year later, Rohit authored a remarkable redemption arc, guiding India to the T20 World Cup title in the USA and West Indies in 2024 — a triumph forged in resilience and renewal.
“The defeat taught me how to confront disappointment, reset mentally, and begin anew,” Rohit said. “I knew another opportunity was coming, and I had to shift my entire focus towards it. Saying this now is easy, but at that moment, the struggle was immense.”
Rohit Sharma’s journey from devastation to redemption stands as a powerful testament to mental fortitude, reaffirming that even the greatest athletes are shaped as much by their heartbreaks as by their triumphs.