Rohit Sharma Reflects on T20 World Cup Win: Ending 13-Year Wait and Career Pressure

The euphoria of lifting the T20 World Cup trophy in 2024 remains palpable for Rohit Sharma. On June 29th in Barbados, India ended an 11-year drought of ICC titles, triumphing over South Africa by seven runs to secure their second ICC T20 World Cup victory. This win marked Rohit Sharma's second ICC T20 World Cup title and his first as captain, a sweet redemption after the heartbreaking loss to Australia in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup final on home soil, despite an impressive ten-match winning streak.

Exactly one year after that momentous victory, India’s T20 World Cup-winning captain Rohit Sharma reminisced about the unforgettable day.

Rohit Sharma savoring the taste of victory.

"Thirteen years is a long time. Most people don’t even have a 13-year career. So, to wait that long to win a World Cup… the last one I won was in 2007," he shared in an exclusive interview on JioHotstar’s show Champions Waali Feeling Phir Se.

"For me, it couldn't have gotten any bigger than this. I didn’t sleep the whole night. I was only thinking about the World Cup. I was nervous. I couldn’t feel my legs. Did I feel nerves? Of course. I just don’t show it—but inside, it was a lot," Rohit confessed.

"We were supposed to leave around 8:30 or 9 in the morning. But I woke up at 7. From my room, I could see the ground and just kept watching it. I remember thinking—‘In two hours, I’ll be there. And in four hours, the result will be out. Either the Cup will be here or it won’t.’” he added.

Team India shares a light moment in Birmingham.

The tournament also held special significance as it marked the farewell of two legends, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, from the T20 format. Both departed from the shortest format with their heads held high.

Rohit was a standout performer with the bat for India throughout the tournament, accumulating 257 runs in eight innings, including three half-centuries. He maintained an average of 36.71 and a strike rate exceeding 155, ultimately becoming the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament.